The 12th annual “Why I Want to Go to College” writing contest for seventh and eighth graders was announced today by Nebraska State Treasurer Don Stenberg. The contest, open to students in Nebraska and across the United States, is sponsored by the Nebraska State Treasurer’s Office and the Omaha Storm Chasers.
Winners will receive contributions to Nebraska’s state-sponsored 529 college savings plans, ranging from $2,000 to $500 each. Three winners will be chosen in each of Nebraska’s three U.S. congressional districts, and three winners will be selected from outside Nebraska.
Winners from Nebraska will be recognized May 11 at the Omaha Storm Chasers’ game at Werner Park in Papillion, Neb.
“We look forward to the annual writing contest and to reading what seventh and eighth grade students say about the value of a college education. The students tend to share our strong belief that a college education not only widens employment opportunities, but also contributes to a young person’s overall sense of confidence, worth, and world view,” said Treasurer Stenberg, who is Trustee of NEST.
“The writing contest has been an effective way for young people to reflect on the value of a college education and to think about how they and their families will pay for college,” Stenberg said. “In previous years, the young writers have been honest and genuine and have focused on their families, their career goals, and their desire to serve their communities.”
The contest is an opportunity for seventh and eighth graders to add to their Nebraska Educational Savings Trust (NEST) accounts or to get started saving if they do not already have accounts, Stenberg said. “While parents are encouraged to start saving for their children’s education from birth, they can still accumulate substantial savings and take advantage of significant tax incentives by opening accounts when children are junior high school age,” he said.
Entries to the “Why I Want to Go to College” writing contest are limited to 750 words each and must be postmarked by March 28, 2014. The entries will be judged by faculty and students at the College of Education at the University of Nebraska at Omaha with final selections made by Treasurer Stenberg. Winners will be announced in early May.
First-place winners will each receive a $2,000 contribution to a Nebraska college savings plan. Second-place winners will each receive a $1,000 contribution to a college savings plan, and third-place winners will each receive a $500 contribution to a college savings plan. First-place winners from Nebraska will receive a one-night hotel stay in Omaha, and all Nebraska winners will receive tickets to the May 11 Storm Chasers’ game.
The following guidelines apply to contest entries:
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.
