News Release

Prepaid College Plan Celebrates 20th Birthday

The habit of saving early for college with a plan financially guaranteed by the state¹ has caught on with thousands of Florida families over the past 20 years.

"We had the paperwork all filled out before they even came home," said Sarah Henning, who enrolled her twins Harper and Granger right after they were born last February. "We knew that it was important to us because we wanted them to have the opportunities that we did."

A 20th birthday celebration for the Florida Prepaid College Plan will be held on Monday, November 17 to recognize the Florida families that have saved ahead for college. At the event, 20 candles on a birthday cake will be blown out by children who have Florida Prepaid College Plans. More than 881,000 children have been enrolled in the Florida Prepaid College Plan since 1988.

Governor Charlie Crist is scheduled to speak at the Florida Prepaid College Plan 20th Birthday celebration at Tallahassee Community College, which will be kicked off at 1:30 p.m. by the Florida A&M University Marching 100 Band. Governor Bob Martinez will be there accompanied by his twin granddaughters Emily and Lydia, for whom he purchased the first two Florida Prepaid College Plans in 1988 when they were two years old.

Prepaid families and the public are invited to attend the celebration, where there will be fun activities for kids. Children will get a chance to tell a videographer what they want to be when they grow up and to pose for pictures framed by life-size cutouts representing professions like teacher, doctor and astronaut.

"The Florida Prepaid College Plan is an example of government that works,” Chairman Ted Hoepner of the Florida Prepaid College Board said. "No taxpayers dollars are used in the Florida Prepaid College Plan which lets families save for college by prepaying for tuition and other college costs. With $8 billion in assets, the Florida Prepaid College Plan is financially strong and guaranteed by the state."

• The Florida Prepaid College Plan is the largest, most successful prepaid college plan in the nation. (College Savings Plan Network, Survey of States, June 30, 2006.)
• 1 out of 10 Florida children from newborns to high school students has a Prepaid College Plan.
• More than 206,000 students have used Florida Prepaid College Plan benefits in college. About 18% of students at the state’s public universities and community colleges have Florida Prepaid College Plans. The plan’s value, what would be paid to a Florida public college, is transferrable to out-of-state and private schools.
• Students with college savings have a better chance of avoiding debt at a time when two-thirds of U.S. college graduates accumulate an average $19,000 in student loans
• Enroll online at www.myfloridaprepaid.com or call 1-800-552-GRAD (4723) to request an Enrollment Kit in English or Spanish and speak with a customer service representative.