Saving and Paying For College

Last updated September 21, 2007


Contents




About GET (Guaranteed Education Tuition):
GET is Washington state's 529 prepaid college tuition program.  With GET, the state of Washington guarantees that the money you save for your child's college education will keep pace with rising college tuition.

The legislature and governor created GET to help families like yours save for college.  Today, GET is one of the fastest-growing prepaid college tuition programs in the country, with 70,000 accounts worth more than $800 million.

Contact Information

GET Program
P.O. Box 43450
Olympia, WA 98504-3450
1-800-955-2318
http://www.get.wa.gov

Power Point Presentations
GET    1.9 MB
NELA  1 MB

Recommended Documents

NELA (Northwest Education Loan Association)
NELA: Paying for College 2006 - 2007
http://nela.net/~content/~downloads/pfc_2007.pdf
webcast
http://invite.mshow.com/signon.asp?Cobrand=100&usertype=0&ShowNum=165532

NELA: Start Now! Saving for College
http://nela.net/~content/~downloads/start.pdf
webcast
http://invite.mshow.com/signon.asp?Cobrand=100&usertype=0&ShowNum=99282

NELA: Resources for Students and Families
file

IRS Form 970, Tax Benefits for Education
http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p970.pdf

Seattle Times College Guide
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/news/education/collegeguide/



Recommended Books

Kiplinger's, Guide to Investing Success, May 2003

College Board, Meeting College Costs: What You Need to Know Before Your Child and Your Money Leave Home. (2005 Edition)



Recommended Links

College Savings Plan Network
http://www.collegesavings.org

Expected Family Contribution Calculator, from The College Board
http://apps.collegeboard.com/fincalc/efc_welcome.jsp

FAFSA, Free Application for Federal Student Aid
http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/

GET (Guaranteed Education Tuition), Washington State's 529 Prepaid College Tuition Program
http://www.get.wa.gov/

U.S. Dept of Education
http://www.ed.gov



Tips on Keeping the Cost of College Down, by the U.S. Dept of Education

  1. Serve in AmeriCorps or other National Service Programs
  2. Take Advanced Placement (AP) courses and exams in high school
  3. Participate in career-focused educational programs such as "Tech Prep" or "School-to-Career"
  4. Enroll in a 2-year college: then transfer to a 4-year college
  5. Work part-time while in school
  6. Take advantage of Armed Forces educational programs

http://www.ed.gov/students/prep/college/thinkcollege/early/parents/edlite-cost-down.html


AP Courses: Economics, Credit Policies

Equivalent scholarships

AP credit policies at any college or university


Pertinent News Articles

State's guaranteed tuition program gaining followers, Herald of Everett, February 14, 2006
http://www.heraldnet.com/stories/06/02/14/100loc_b6get001.cfm

College funding is subject to unfair rules, expensive fees, Seattle Times, November 28, 2004

Picking right college-savings plan isn't easy, Seattle Times, November 28, 2004