State Treasurer Ken Miller recently announced the launch of the Oklahoma 529 College Savings Plan’s first Road to College contest. One high school senior has the chance to share his or her journey to college with the public through blogs and videos and receive $5,529 for higher education in the process.
Miller, who serves as board chair of the Oklahoma 529 College Savings Plan (OCSP), said he hopes the effort benefits parents of younger children.
“Just like saving for college can be intimidating for many families, the process of applying for college, choosing a school, getting financial aid and more can be overwhelming,” said Miller, who serves as OCSP’s board chair. “The Road to College promotion gives us the opportunity to help families learn about all of the senior-year milestones on the way to the dorm room.”
To enter the contest, interested high school students who will graduate in the spring of 2019 should create an audition video, no more than 90 seconds in length, explaining why they should be chosen. Videos can be uploaded to the OCSP website. Officials will select finalists and then ask OCSP’s Facebook fans to vote on their preferred video.
The chosen student will produce one blog post or video blog post each month from August 2018 to August 2019, sharing the story of their senior year of high school and their preparation for college. Potential posts might include campus visits, tips and tricks for college applications, shopping for the dorm room and more.
“We want our winner to give parents of younger children a real sense of what senior year in high school is like so they know the right turns to make along the way,” Miller said. “It’s the final leg of a journey to college and an incredibly busy time.
“Senior year arrives before you know it. Just like saving for college, early preparation is key.”
The contest is open to OCSP account beneficiaries. Interested non-account owners can open an OCSP account for as little as $100. Contest entry, official rules and additional information are all available at www.ok4saving.org/RoadtoCollege.
The entry deadline is July 6, 2018. Facebook voting will take place from July 11 to July 18. For more information about the Oklahoma 529 College Savings Plan, visit www.ok4saving.org or call (877) 654-7284.
