Tallahassee, Fla. – Higher education expands the minds and opens the door to new opportunities. However, for many Hispanic families, sending a child to college is more of a dream than reality. To change this misperception, the Florida State Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and the Florida Prepaid College Board will team to inform Chamber members about state-sponsored plans that make college affordable.
The two organizations have united to help increase the number of Hispanic children entering college. According to Florida State Government statistics, while the number of Hispanics increased last year by 20 percent, the percentage of Hispanic children in college is only 15 percent of the grand student total.
Additionally, according to Florida Prepaid data, since the plan opened in 1987, only 12 percent of all contracts have been purchased by Hispanic families. In comparison, 79 percent of the contracts were purchased by white families.
“We need to drastically improve on these numbers, and we are committed to partnerships like the Florida Prepaid to do so,” states Julio Fuentes, President of the Florida State Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. “We will also continue to preach the importance of a higher education and the positive affect that it will have for our Hispanic small businesses.”
“We want to make sure that every family in Florida knows that college can be made affordable and attainable,” states Tom Wallace, Executive Director of the Florida Prepaid College Board. “For just a couple of dollars per day, families can start a college savings plan and send their child to a great Florida university to help them reach their dreams.”
With the Florida Prepaid College Plan, families can lock in the current cost of college tuition, local fees and dormitory housing for a child today. Once signed up, payments never increase. When the child is ready for college, the plan covers the actual cost at any Florida public college, or the value of the plan can be transferred to most private colleges in Florida, select technical schools and most out-of-state colleges.
The Florida Prepaid College Plan is financially guaranteed by the State of Florida, so it is a safe way to save. To qualify, the child or the child’s parent/guardian must be a Florida resident. Anyone, including parents, grandparents, friends or even businesses, can purchase a plan.
Enrollment for the Florida Prepaid College Plan runs through January 31, 2006. The Florida Prepaid College Plan is the largest program of its kind in the country with more than one million plans sold. For enrollment information, visit www.florida529plans.com or call 1-800-552-GRAD (4723).
The Florida State Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (FSHCCO) is a non-profit community development organization operating in the state of Florida. The FSHCC was incorporated to represent and support Florida's Hispanic Small Business community. It is the only statewide economic development organization that addresses Hispanic community development issues. FSHCC’s mission is to promote the economic advancement of the Florida Hispanic community, with a focus on economic and political