College Savings Month

WHEREAS, the State of Alabama is committed to competing in the global economy, our citizens must recognize the challenge ahead and provide their children with the education and skills that will enable them to compete successfully; and

WHEREAS, the constantly rising costs of higher education have out-paced inflation and the growth in family income, all of which pose a threat to the ability of our citizens to ensure their children’s access to post-secondary education; and

WHEREAS, the amount of student loan debt continues to rise, leaving college graduates with the ever-increasing burden of paying for their college education long after it has been completed; and

WHEREAS, nearly four out of 10 parents of college-bound children are not putting money aside for college; and

WHEREAS, it is in the State of Alabama’s interest that access to post-secondary education for our children be maintained, and that encouraging parents to save for their children’s education promotes that public purpose; and

WHEREAS, it is in the best interest of our State’s employers to ensure a well-educated workforce; and

WHEREAS, the State of Alabama provides a college savings plan as a Section 529 Qualified State Tuition and Savings Plans (QSTP) through duly enacted laws passed by the state’s legislature, including state tax incentives for citizens as recognition of the value of higher education:

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Robert Bentley, Governor of Alabama, hereby proclaim the month of September 2013, as

College Savings Month

in the state of Alabama and encourage families and employers throughout the State of Alabama to recognize the benefit of attaining a higher education and urge the citizens of our state to begin saving for their children’s education.