Grandparents and great aunts and uncles are encouraged to share their thoughts about the value of a college education in letters to special children in their lives in “Dear Grandchild,” a drawing sponsored by Nebraska State Treasurer Don Stenberg and First National Bank of Omaha.
Entries will be accepted through Dec. 16.
Four winners will receive $2,000 each in scholarship money to be deposited into a Nebraska Educational Savings Trust (NEST) 529 college savings account for a grandchild or grandchildren or for a great niece or great nephew.
“I am excited about this scholarship opportunity designed especially for grandparents. As a grandparent of nine grandchildren, I believe helping our grandchildren achieve a college education is one of the most important gifts we can give. By contributing to a college savings account or by setting up an account, you are helping ensure a bright and successful future for your grandchildren. This is a gift that does not wear out with time, or that is left unused on a shelf. It’s the gift that will truly last a lifetime,” said Treasurer Stenberg, who is Trustee of NEST.
“This is also an opportunity for grandparents to share some of their hopes and dreams for their grandchildren and to offer words of encouragement and pride in a very personal way,” Stenberg said. “We hope grandparents will take this occasion to share their letters with their grandchildren. This is a unique opportunity for grandparents to encourage and support their grandchildren and to promote the importance of higher education while potentially winning $2,000 in a NEST account for a grandchild,” Stenberg said.
Each letter, accompanied by a cover sheet with the entrant’s name, address, phone number, and relationship to the child, should be emailed to NEST@fnni.com with the subject line “NEST Dear Grandchild Drawing.” Letters also may be sent to “NEST Dear Grandchild Drawing,” 1620 Dodge Street, Stop 1105, Omaha, NE 68197-1105. Each letter received by NEST will be entered into a drawing to win one of four $2,000 prizes.
“More and more grandparents are contributing to a 529 account for their grandchildren because they recognize the lifelong impact that gift will have on a child’s life,” said Deborah Goodkin, Managing Director of NEST at First National Bank of Omaha, the NEST Program Manager. “Our hope is that grandparents will learn about the possibilities of saving with NEST and that they will take advantage of this great chance to win a $2,000 scholarship to add to their savings for a grandchild.”
The scholarship will be awarded to the grandparent and deposited into an account owned by the Nebraska Educational Savings Trust, held on behalf of a designated grandchild. A winner may split the scholarship among up to five grandchildren or five great nieces and nephews.
Dear Grandchild is inspired by the “NEST Best. Gift. Ever.” campaign, which is designed to encourage families to establish a family tradition of giving into college savings accounts. Money for the prizes is being provided by First National Bank of Omaha.
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.
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.
