Sam Houston High School P-TECH students now have an opportunity to reduce the financial burden of higher education through a new program recently launched by Edward Jones and Everfi.
The Financial Futures Education Savings Program will provide up to 30 juniors at Sam Houston P-TECH with the chance to earn as much as $15,000 in contributions toward their postsecondary education.
Students can earn funds by completing activities, including Everfi’s digital financial education courses, book reflections, career fairs, and educational seminars hosted by Edward Jones. Each completed activity earns contributions into a custodial 529 education savings plan, which is a tax-advantaged account designed to help families save for college, trade school, or other qualified education expenses.
Families must sign a participation agreement and open a custodial 529 plan for their student to be eligible. For this program, only education savings plans are used.
“Edward Jones created this program because we recognize that student loan debt can often discourage students from pursuing college, technical schools, or apprenticeships,” said David Clunie, Principal and Head of Community Relations at Edward Jones. “Access to higher education can be life-changing, and we are proud to work with students to achieve their educational goals.”
Christy Sullivan, the P-TECH administrator is excited about what this will mean for students.
“We value providing P-TECH students with experiences and opportunities to support their commitment to career and college,” Sullivan said. We have 30 families that have never considered future investments for their child’s educational future and with this program, families have met with financial advisors and opened college 529 accounts. It is incredible to see how this opportunity impacts our students’ futures as well as their family for years to come.”