The Ladder

A Blog from New America's Asset Building Program

College Savings Event and a Menu of Policy Options to Help Families Put Away Money for Higher Ed

Published:  May 12, 2010

Tomorrow, in tandem with the bipartisan Congressional Savings and Ownership Caucus, New America's College Savings Initiative will be holding an event on Capitol Hill to discuss ways that policymakers can help families afford and complete higher education.

Attaining a college education is one of the best ways for low- and moderate-income students to climb the economic ladder, and college savings can certainly help families prepare financially for the rising cost of education as well as avoid unwieldy debt burdens. Perhaps more importantly, however, new research out of the Center for Social Development is finding a link between savings and wealth, and important educational factors such as high school graduation, college attendance, and completion of a degree.

Join New America and the Congressional Savings and Ownership Caucus for College Savings 101: Addressing the Gap Between Aspirations and Affordability  for a lively discussion and release of a new paper by New America’s David Newville that provides a broad range of policy options to help families save for postsecondary education.

This event will feature remarks by Reps. Jim Cooper (D-TN) and Joe Pitts (R-PA), as well as perspectives from Joan Marshall (Chair, College Savings Plans Network) and Jackie Williams (Director, College Savings Initiative).

You can RSVP here, and read the paper here.

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