Start Saving for College Tuition Now

Join upromise.com for free access to the following resources.

Preparing
Tips on entrance tests; choosing a school; estimating tuition costs; application do's and don'ts

Saving tips
Understanding 529 plans; saving on taxes; investing at different stages

Paying advice
How to get financial aid; finding scholarships; understanding the loan process; applying for work study.

Start researching and planning today!

A 529 Plan is an education savings plan operated by a state or educational institution designed to help families set aside funds for future college costs. It is named after Section 529 of the Internal Revenue Code which created these types of savings plans in 1998.

529 Plans can be used to for cost of any qualified college nationwide. You can live in one state, participate in a plan in another state, and send your student to a college in a third state. Other family members like grandparents can also open their own 529 plan for your student.

Open your plan and begin making regular monthly deposits.

This is a method that you can start as soon as your child has a social security number. Our children's first savings bonds were to celebrate their birth. They have received bonds every Christmas and birthday since from grandparents, great-grandparents, aunts, and uncles.

Join Upromise program for free and earn money by doing the things you do anyway like going to the grocery store, buying gas, and shopping online. Increase your saving potential by inviting friends and family to join and contribute to your child's education.

As a member, you'll have lots of chances to save:

• Earn 1% to 25% back when you shop online for yourself or for others at sites like eBay.com, JCPenney.com and Walmart.com.


• Earn 1% to 5% back on participating brands you love, like Nestle® Toll House® Morsels and Florida's Natural® Orange Juice.


• Get rewarded for shopping at your favorite participating stores like Eddie Bauer, The Sharper Image®, and Bed Bath & Beyond®.


• Earn rewards for booking travel, hotel reservations, car rentals and dining with participating restaurants.


• Buy or sell a home and you can earn up to $3,000 for college.


• Earn up to 10% college savings on certain purchases with your Citi® Upromise® World MasterCard®.

• CDs and Bank Accounts
  Bank Certificates of Deposit (CDs) and bank savings accounts are two other places to put college savings. Although CDs and bank savings accounts are generally FDIC insured, they generally offer a lower return potential than other investment vehicles and are most appropriate for those with short-term goals.


• Educational Savings Accounts
  You are now able to set up IRAs for the purpose of paying college expenses. Contributions are allowed until your child reaches 18, and contributions may not exceed $2,000 per child per year.


• Life Insurance
  You shouldn't purchase life insurance unless you need protection. If you have a permanent life insurance policy paid with fixed annual premiums, you generally have the option of borrowing against its cash value. Of course, the amount of cash value available to borrow against varies, depending on the specific policy. The death benefit will be decreased by the amount of the outstanding loan. The interest rate charged on such loans is often reasonable, and in many cases you can pay back the loan on a flexible schedule

ScholarshipExperts.com is a free scholarship search service that has been voted "Best of the Web" by Forbes.com since 2003.