Nebraska State Treasurer Don Stenberg and First National Bank of Omaha today announced four randomly selected winners of the 2017 Big Dreams $20K Giveaway. Each received a $5,000 contribution to a NEST 529 College Savings Plan account for a beneficiary 10 years old or younger.
In total, 2,442 eligible entries were received, including 158 from outside Nebraska. Entries were accepted between September 12 and October 31. This is the second Big Dreams Giveaway in 2017. The first giveaway, which accepted entries between March 9 and May 29, also awarded four winners with $5,000 contributions.
“At NEST, we strongly advocate for children to dream big—especially when it comes to education. However, we also understand that big dreams often require a solid financial foundation to build upon,” said Treasurer Stenberg, Trustee of NEST. “By offering the $20K Giveaway, we hope to support these aspirations and help children move closer to fulfilling their big dreams.”
“Helping families jump start their college savings is of the upmost importance and is at the very heart of our mission,” said Deborah Goodkin, Managing Director, Savings Plans, First National Bank of Omaha. “Knowledge is invaluable, but higher education isn’t free, which is why we aim to give families a boost as they begin planning for the academic future.”
Since 2015, $90,000 has been given to families saving for college through the Big Dreams Giveaway. Funding for the scholarships is provided by First National Bank of Omaha. Throughout the year, the NEST 529 Plan regularly offers scholarships, contests and drawings. More information is available at NEST529.com, NEST529Advisor.com or treasurer.nebraska.gov.
About NEST
NEST is a tax-advantaged 529 college savings plan and provides four plans to help make saving for college simple and affordable: NEST Direct College Savings Plan, the NEST Advisor College Savings Plan, the Bloomwell 529 Education Savings Plan, and the State Farm 529 Savings Plan. The Nebraska State Treasurer serves as Program Trustee. Union Bank & Trust Company serves as Program Manager, and all investments are approved by the Nebraska Investment Council. Families nationwide are saving for college using Nebraska’s 529 College Savings Plans, which have more than 285,000 accounts, including over 94,000 in Nebraska. Visit NEST529.com and treasurer.nebraska.gov for more information.
About First National Bank of Omaha
First National Bank of Omaha is a subsidiary of First National of Nebraska. First National of Nebraska and its affiliates have more than $23 billion in assets and 5,000 employee associates. Primary banking offices are located in Nebraska, Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, South Dakota and Texas.
