Kentucky K-6 students can earn $1,500 toward college, $500 for school

Contest encourages students to begin planning now for college

FRANKFORT, Ky. (Jan. 12, 2015) — Kentucky students in grades K-6 have the opportunity to win $1,500 toward college and $500 for their school in the “Dream Out Loud Challenge.” Students are invited to submit an original drawing, poem, essay or video answering the question: “How will I change the world after I go to college?”

The annual challenge, sponsored by the Kentucky Education Savings Plan Trust (KESPT), is intended to encourage Kentucky families to start saving and planning for higher education with their children.

The contest has two categories: drawing or video and essay or poem. One winner will be chosen from each category in grades K-1, grades 2-3 and grades 4-6. The winning students will receive a $1,500 KESPT college savings account, and their schools will win $500. The contest runs from Jan. 19 through March 20. Entries must be postmarked by March 20 and received by March 25.

“This is the sixth year we have sponsored the Dream Out Loud Challenge. In the past five years, we received nearly 8,000 entries from students all over Kentucky,” KESPT administrator David Lawhorn said. “This has been a great way to promote saving early for college because the challenge starts family discussions about how college can help children make their dreams come true.”

KESPT is Kentucky’s official college savings plan. It is administered by the Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority and managed by TIAA-CREF Tuition Financing. The plan helps parents, grandparents and others invest in a child’s future college education.