Grants Pass, Ore.– Five school districts throughout Oregon are taking interest in a pilot program that aims to help elementary students save money for college. Including Grants Pass School District 7.
It’s called Be College Ready. It’s a 529 account, like a savings account, which means all earnings are tax free. It launched this month and is under the umbrella of Oregon College Savings Plan. Parents gathered at Allen Dale Elementary Tuesday evening to learn more about the program.
“I think it’s amazing because I want my kid to have the life he wants to have. And this is what he wants to do at eight years old. He already knows what he wants to do. So I want to embrace the fact that he wants to do it,” said Amy Dechenne.
The Outreach Director, John Valley said, “There’s so much emphasis on the academic..On what it takes to get into to school . But the worst thing is people do all the A-P classes, they do all the extra curricular activities. They get into the school they want and they cant afford the tuition to go.”
Be College Ready can can be used for colleges outside of Oregon too. A state income tax deduction of up to $4,600 dollars is also offered with this program. Valley said they hope to make it a state wide program eventually.
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