Helping a Child “Become Someone” Through Florida Prepaid

This post is sponsored by the Florida Prepaid College Board, through my role as a Believer Blogger. All thoughts are my own.

My dear friend Jane Anderson wrote a Thanksgiving reflection this year that made me think. Among other observations, she talked about a year when her family decided “to try eating out for Thanksgiving instead of laboring hours in the kitchen for 15 minutes of consuming the results.”

My sister-in-law’s lovely table.

Taking steps to ensure a child in your life has the security of Prepaid College Tuition is sort of the opposite concept: spending 15 minutes (often less) now to guarantee years of educational benefits and assurance.

There are several 15-minute investments you can make now that can make a difference in your child’s educational future and make their future more secure.

Explore Choices

In 15 minutes, you can scan the Florida Prepaid options and start to narrow down which one may be best for you. There are five choices:

• 1-Year Florida University Plan
• 2-Year Florida College Plan
• 4-Year Florida College Plan
• 2+2 Florida College Plan
• 4-Year Florida University Plan

You can read more about each plan here. (There’s also a dormitory plan.)

Wayne and I are not new to the parenting rodeo, and I’m going to guess that many of you may be in a similar position to us — you have children who are rapidly hurtling toward college. You may not find yourself *quite* as prepared as you’d like to be for their educational needs once they graduate from high school.

The 1-Year Florida University Plan is one I would particularly take the time to note. Designed to provide an extremely affordable prepaid option, it allows purchasers to buy one year of State University credit hours at a time according to their budget and timeline, without feeling the pressure of having to buy all four years at once.

The 1-Year plan, which starts at less than $50 a month, also allows multiple purchasers to buy a plan for the same child.Each purchaser can have their own separate account and a child can have up to four 1-Year Florida University Plans.

Encourage Your Child’s Aspirations

My conversations with my own children, as well as nieces and nephews, at this year’s Thanksgiving gathering were different from previous years. Everyone has grown up. Some childhood dreams have faded while new ones have taken their place.

But no matter the dreams, the pleasure has been hearing their progression over the years.

Mike Massimino, an astronaut who has flown on two Shuttle missions, was the first astronaut on Twitter, and appeared on The Big Bang Theory (he gave Howard his astronaut name), writes in his book about his childhood dreams.

“My world was very small. People didn’t think about leaving Long Island, let alone going to space.” When Massimino visited Columbia University as a high school senior for an admissions interview, he wrote, “…the minute I arrived, I felt like I understood what college was.” He goes on to say, “I had a revelation: This is where people learn. This is where you become someone. I’d never had that feeling before.”

Fifteen minutes go by quickly, but they’re enough to remind a child in your life that they can indeed be someone, and that higher education is within their reach. 

Talk With Family Members About Pitching In

One practical and positive feature of Florida Prepaid Plans is that family members can help. If a relative asks what they can do for a holiday gift, consider talking with them about Prepaid.

I know I would love to give the children in my life the gift of security at a time when so many aspects of our world seem uncertain; this is a gift that promises to be more enduring than a toy or sweater.

As I mentioned above, with 1-Year University plans, four separate people could conceivably each purchase a year contract. There are various configurations and options.

In addition, anyone can make payments or contributions towards a prepaid account.

Enroll in Florida Prepaid

The enrollment process can easily be completed in 15 minutes or less.

Enrollment ends February 28, 2018, but there’s a special incentive for people who enroll by November 30. They will be entered to have their entire contract paid off!

You can also save 50% off your $50 enrollment fee by using the code GREEN1718.

Visit Florida Prepaid on the web or call 1.800.552.GRAD (4723) for more information. 

I’d say 15 minutes is a small investment to make to help a child experience the opportunity to “become someone.”

Paula Kiger

Wife of one, Mom of two, Friend of many. My pronouns are she/her/hers.