Eight Utah students are $1,000 closer to their college dreams, thanks to their winning submissions in the Utah Educational Savings Plan (UESP) and StepUp to Higher Education’s Make Your Mark bookmark contest. More than 1,500 students in four age brackets entered original artwork for a chance at a $1,000 UESP college savings scholarship account.
Kindergarten through third-grade winners were Milo Penrod, a second-grader from Wasatch Elementary in Salt Lake School District; and Sicily Patterson, a third-grader from Alpine School District’s Freedom Elementary.
Two sixth-grade students were selected in the 4-6 category: Helena Gutierrez from Wasatch Elementary in Salt Lake School District, and Genevieve McFadden from H C Burton Elementary in Davis School District.
Seventh-grader Seth Nielsen from North Star Academy LEA and eighth-grader Eleanor Stevens from Salt Lake Arts Academy LEA won the 7-8 category.
Two seniors, Isabella Broome and Kekoa Shipman, brought home the prizes for grades nine through 12. Broome attends Granite School District’s Olympus High School, and Shipman is enrolled at Snow Canyon High School in Washington County School District.
The winning students and their families were honored at an awards luncheon Monday, November 6, at Zions Bank headquarters in Salt Lake City.
Make Your Mark is part of the celebration of College Savings Month, designated by Gov. Gary Herbert to be observed in September. In its eighth year, the contest advances awareness about saving for higher education expenses while promoting art, reading, and college preparation.
Scholarship funds can be used to pay for qualified higher education expenses like tuition, fees, computers, required books, supplies, and equipment. Winners can use funds at any college, university, or technical school in the United States or abroad that participates in federal financial aid programs for students—not just schools in Utah.
“Every year, we look forward to the Make Your Mark submissions from talented Utah students. We are pleased to help eight of these students build their college savings,” said Lynne Ward, UESP executive director. “Saving even small amounts regularly in a UESP account can help families defray college costs, and—unlike a loan—it’s something they won’t have to pay back with interest.”
See the winning entries at uesp.org. For more information about the Utah Educational Savings Plan, visit uesp.org, call UESP at 800.418.2551, or email info@uesp.org.
About UESP
UESP, Utah’s official nonprofit 529 college savings plan, is highly ranked by Morningstar Inc., and touted by 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.
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
Investing is an important decision. Read the Program Description in its entirety 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 insured or guaranteed by UESP, the Utah State Board of Regents, the Utah Higher Education Assistance Authority or any other state or federal agency. Your investment could lose value. 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.
The state in which you or your beneficiary pays taxes or lives may offer a 529 plan that provides state tax or other benefits, such as financial aid, scholarship funds, and protection from creditors, not otherwise available to you by investing in UESP. You should consider such 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.
