SPRINGFIELD, Ill–(ENEWSPF)–November 19, 2009. Paying for future college tuition and fees through the College Illinois!® 529 Prepaid Tuition Program will never be more affordable than it is right now, according to the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC). That’s because there are only 10 days left until December prices kick in.
“The hardest part about paying for college is getting started” said ISAC Executive Director Andrew Davis. “Our new monthly discounted pricing structure gives families incentives to start earlier, allowing them to save even more money on prepaid tuition while also allowing them to structure a program around their own financial cycle.”
Now is the best time to purchase a contract because pricing discounts make buying early more affordable. Prices will never be lower than they are now; prices adjust on the first day of each new month, every month, so it pays to purchase sooner rather than later.
A College Illinois! 529 Prepaid Tuition Program contract between the purchaser and the state of Illinois ensures tuition and fee benefits for college, regardless of fluctuations in the market. When a beneficiary is ready to go to college, he or she can choose to attend almost anywhere because benefits can be used at Illinois public universities and community colleges or applied at public and private institutions nationwide.
Unlike a college savings plan, the College Illinois! 529 Prepaid Tuition Program is the tax-advantaged plan that protects families from tuition inflation by allowing purchasers to lock-in a price now to cover future tuition and fees at colleges nationwide. A child born today is projected to incur college costs of more than $180,000 at a four-year, public university, but parents and grandparents can sign a prepaid tuition contract today for much less, negating the effect of tuition inflation on their pocketbooks.
Prepaid tuition benefits keep pace with the increases in tuition and fees equal to those found at in-state, public institutions. Parents and grandparents can purchase as little as one semester at a community college to nine semesters at a public university. Various payment options are available, including monthly and annual installments.
Now is the time for parents and grandparents to purchase this secure option for their child’s educational future at the lowest prices. Visit www.529prepaidtuition.org or call toll-free at (877) 877-3724 for program information, materials and enrollment guidelines. Current prices end November 30, 2009.
Administered by the Illinois Student Assistance Commission, the College Illinois! 529 Prepaid Tuition Program is a secure college funding option because benefits do not fluctuate with the stock market. Since the program’s inception in 1998, more than 66,000 prepaid tuition contracts with a value of more than $1.6 billion have been purchased. The program’s Trust Fund is managed by professional money managers, subject to oversight by the program’s Investment Advisory Panel and the Illinois Student Assistance Commission.
Source: illinois.gov
