Winners of bookmark design competition will receive $1,000 scholarship accounts
The Utah Educational Savings Plan (UESP) and StepUp to Higher Education will celebrate National College Savings Month in September by sponsoring the annual UESP Make Your Mark bookmark design contest. Eight Utah students in kindergarten through grade 12 each will receive a $1,000 college savings scholarship for their winning bookmark designs.
The goal of College Savings Month is to encourage Utah families to save for future college or vocational school expenses. A five-judge panel that includes Utah Gov. Gary Herbert; First Lady Jeanette Herbert; Lynne Goodwin, executive director of the Treehouse Museum in Ogden; Noelle Cockett, president of Utah State University; and Pat Bagley, editorial cartoonist for The Salt Lake Tribune, will select two winning bookmark design entries from each of four grade categories. Scholarship recipients will be notified in mid-October. All decisions by the judges and UESP are final.
In addition to receiving $1,000 UESP college scholarship accounts, each winner’s artwork may be professionally reproduced and distributed at UESP events throughout Utah.
The Make Your Mark design competition is in its eighth year.
“The Make Your Mark competition is an effective motivator for families to start or increase savings for the future college costs of their children,” said Lynne Ward, UESP executive director.
“Here at UESP, we like to point out that saving early in a tax-advantaged account makes higher education more attainable. The sooner a family starts, the more time your money has to add up and potentially grow,” Ward said.
The contest runs September 1 through September 29, 2017. Utah students are eligible to enter if they are enrolled in a Utah school or are home-schooled. Parents are not required to own a UESP account.
Entrants must submit an original bookmark design on the official entry form. Visit uesp.org/make-your-mark-2017 to find an entry form and see official Make Your Mark contest rules. Only one entry per
student is allowed.
UESP must receive all entries no later than September 29, 2017, at 5 p.m. MT. Submit entries by mail, courier, or hand delivery. Address information and contest rules and restrictions are detailed on the back of the official entry form.
The contest is not open to past Make Your Mark winners or children of an adult employed or affiliated with the Utah State Board of Regents, Utah Higher Education Assistance Authority, UESP, StepUp to Higher Education, or their advertising agencies.
About UESP
UESP, Utah’s official nonprofit 529 college savings plan, is highly ranked by Morningstar Inc., Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine, Money magazine, CBS MoneyWatch.com, and consumer expert Clark Howard for its low fees and industry innovations such as its customized allocation investment options.
Accounts are free to open, and UESP requires no minimum deposit or account balance. UESP’s user-friendly website, uesp.org, makes it easy to open, manage, and contribute to an account online.
Earnings in UESP college savings accounts grow tax-deferred, and withdrawals are exempt from federal and Utah state income tax if used for eligible educational expenses such as tuition, mandatory fees, books, computers, internet access, and certain room and board costs.
Utah tax credits are also available to Utah account owners for contributions made to their UESP accounts.
To learn more about the Utah Educational Savings Plan, visit uesp.org, call UESP toll-free at 800.418.2551, or send an email to info@uesp.org.
About StepUp to Higher Education
StepUp to Higher Education is an outreach initiative through the Utah System of Higher Education that aims to increase the college participation of Utah students, especially those who may have never considered higher education as a practical option after high school.
The StepUp to Higher Education initiative is made possible by a College Access Challenge Grant from the U.S. Department of Education.
Important Legal Notice
Read the Program Description for more information and consider all investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses before investing. Call 800.418.2551 for a copy of the Program Description or visit uesp.org.
Investments in UESP are not guaranteed by UESP, the Utah State Board of Regents, the Utah Higher Education Assistance Authority or any other state or federal agency. However, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) insurance is provided for the FDIC-insured accounts. Please read the Program Description to learn about the FDIC-insured accounts. Your investment could lose value.
Non-Utah taxpayers and residents: You should determine whether the state in which you or your beneficiary pays taxes or lives offers a 529 plan that provides state tax or other benefits not otherwise available to you by investing in UESP. You should consider such state tax treatment and benefits, if any, before investing in UESP.
UESP does not provide legal, financial, investment, or tax advice, and the information provided in this document does not contain legal, financial, investment, or tax advice and cannot be construed as such or relied upon for those purposes. You should consult your own tax or legal advisor to determine the effect of federal and state tax laws on your particular situation.
A Morningstar Analyst Rating for a 529 College Savings Plan is not a credit or risk rating. Analyst Ratings are subjective in nature and should not be used as the sole basis for investment decisions. Morningstar does not represent its Analyst Ratings to be guarantees. Please visit Morningstar.com for more information about the Analyst Ratings, as well as other Morningstar ratings and fund rankings.
