Impactful Event Returns to Serve Individuals and Families in Need
PHOENIX, Nov. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — HeroZona Foundation and Sons of the American Legion are excited to announce the 20th annual Thanksgiving Turkey Giveaway on Saturday, Nov. 18 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. During the event, families in need will receive free turkeys at the Travis L. Williams American Legion Post 65 (1624 E. Broadway Rd.) There will be a limit of one frozen turkey per family with no income requirements or ID necessary, while supplies last.
“This time of year can be a burden for many families and we want to take away the added stress for those who may be facing food insecurity across the Valley,” said Alan “AP” Powell, chairman of AP & Associates – Strategic Alliances, U.S. Army Desert-Storm Veteran and HeroZona cofounder. “We are proud to continue this tradition of providing Thanksgiving meals to our local community as everyone deserves to celebrate with their loved ones.
The foundation has launched a variety of community programs including The Bridge Forum ‘Time for Change’ Summits, which bring leaders from across the country together to discuss racial inequality, police relations, veterans’ issue, mental health and more. Other initiatives include Phoenix Tools 4 School, Holiday Bike Giveaways, MLK Celebrating the Dream, Veterans Reach to Teach and the HeroZona Forgotten Heroes Breakfast.
The giveaway is supported by a variety of different partners including the Phoenix Police Department, the Phoenix Fire Department, Crescent Crown Distributing, APS, Salt River Project, Mega 104.3, 101.1 The Bounce, Albertsons and Safeway, Arizona Diamondbacks, Andrew and Amy Cohn, Equality Health Foundation, Arizona Informant, Prensa Arizona, Maricopa Community Colleges, U.S. Representative for District 7 Ruben Gallego, District 11 State Senator Catherine Miranda, Maricopa County District 5 Supervisor Steve Gallardo, District 8 Councilwoman Kesha Hodge Washington, Greater Phoenix Urban League, 100 Black Men of Phoenix, National Coalition of 100 Black Women Phoenix Metropolitan Chapter, Vitanya Brain Performance, Blue Zones, Black Chamber of Arizona, Thinkzilla Consulting, the Art Hamilton Group, Mr. Bow Tie Entertainment and the African American Christian Clergy Coalition.
The HeroZona Foundation is a non-profit organization that empowers Heroes in the community through entrepreneurship, employment, and education. The group works with veterans, first responders and those that bring social good to future generations and under-served communities. The foundation’s mission is to create opportunities for the brave men and women who serve their country, and community, every day.‥For more information, please visit‥HeroZona.org.‥
Seton Youth Services Holds First Habitat Restoration Planting at New Virginia Beach Campus
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va., Nov. 14, 2023 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — In partnership with Virginia Wesleyan University, the Virginia Department of Forestry, and area horticultural experts, Seton Youth Services, the region’s only non-profit dedicated to free, 24-hour shelter, outreach, mentoring and counseling to youth in crisis and their families, is launching the first phase of its Mission Greenspace initiative, designed to restore and create sustainable greenspace on its new 4-acre campus in Virginia Beach. Through a $20,000 grant of planning, labor and materials, Seton will plant 34 trees and shrubs at its Stoneshore Road property on November 19, 2023, from 1-5 pm, with additional planting next spring. “We are beyond grateful to our lead Building Promise Capital Campaign donors, Brian and Stan Holland of Atlantic Bay Mortgage, for purchasing this 4-acre property for Seton in 2021, located in the heart of the city. In addition to its purpose as the setting for our new Boys’ and Girls’ shelters and our Administration building, our organization hopes to set an example of how deliberate landscape design and practice can restore habitat for people, plants, and wildlife. As a non-profit, we do not have a budget for seasonal landscape change outs, and we believe we have a responsibility to minimize waste and maximize the lifespan of any resources we do have at hand. We are hoping to set an example that others in our suburban area can follow to utilize native, perennial plants in their greenspaces, whether large or small. In a way, we see this mission as allowing us to help heal the environment just as our programs heal the youth and families we serve,” explained Jennifer Sieracki, CEO of Seton Youth Services. “Also, as a VWU alumna, and former Norfolk Botanical Garden(NBG) staffer, I look forward to collaborating with VWU faculty and students, and horticulturist Brian O’Neill, formerly with NBG, on this important mission.”
Seton’s Mission Greenspace initiative includes planting native trees, shrubs and other vegetation, installation of the Growing Promise Garden, a permanent, dedicated edibles and pollinator garden, funded by the Hampton Roads Community Foundation’s Alison J. and Ella W. Parsons Fund, and the future Chillin’ Out Weather Station, a S.T.E.M based solar-powered weather monitoring center.
“Extreme heat is one of the most dangerous weather events in the United States and is worsened in urban areas by pavement and the lack of green spaces,” explains Dr. Elizabeth Malcolm, Associate Professor of Atmospheric and Oceanic Science of at VWU. “An urban heat research campaign carried out by Virginia Wesleyan University measured a 15 °F difference across the city of Virginia Beach on a hot summer afternoon. Seton Youth Services’ campus is in a neighborhood identified as at risk from extreme heat events based on the VWU research. In partnership with the Virginia Foundation for Independent Colleges, Virginia Wesleyan University obtained funding from the Virginia Department of Forestry for the current tree planting project. Trees and natural spaces provide benefits beyond reducing the urban heat island effect, having been shown to improve test scores and mental health in children. Malcolm added, “Virginia Wesleyan is excited to partner with Seton Youth Services to integrate native trees and green spaces at their new campus to benefit the psychological and physical wellbeing of the children they serve. This project allows our students to apply what they have learned in the classroom to serve our community.”
Speaking as a group, Grace Harriman, Avery Lewis, Janessa Lowe, and Stephanie Clark, all with VWU’s Class of ’27, said, “As students of Virginia Wesleyan University and its Batten Honors College (BHC), we are completing an honors program that inspires, engages, and prepares students to become impactful leaders, good citizens, and environmental stewards in the global community. Our “Contemporary Environmental Issues” class is the Honors seminar all first-year BHC students are required to take. Our focus is climate change and water sustainability. Students completing this class receive a Chesapeake Bay Foundation Advocacy certificate from the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. To obtain our certificate, we are required to investigate a local environmental issue and propose a solution. This year, we chose to work with Seton Youth Services. Our role in Mission Greenspace is to assist Seton with planning, organizing, and completing their Phase One tree planting project and garden to provide privacy, lounging areas, and outdoor hands-on education for youth served, and for Seton staff.”
Thirty Seton staff and Board Members, VWU students and faculty, and community volunteers will em-“bark” on Seton’s Mission Greenspace Plant-A-Thon on Sunday, November 19, 2023, from 1-5 p.m., at Seton’s new campus, 3396 Stoneshore Road, Virginia Beach, VA 23452. For more information, contact Jennifer Sieracki, CEO, at 757.403.2617, or [email protected].
“NEDHSA continues to find solutions to improve population health by providing quality, competent, and compassionate Integrated Healthcare and addressing the negative social determinants of health,” Lewis said. “The agency carefully and compassionately engaged the region’s vulnerable populations in non-traditional ways by utilizing art galleries, museums, psychodramas, music, fitness, and more. We are proud to serve in the capacity we do in supporting the work of the executive director, the staff, contractors, and many others who work to make NEDHSA what it is.”
The report reveals NEDHSA’s work in its 12-parish service area, where it delivered outpatient behavioral health services to more than 1,700 outpatient clients, providing more than 29,500 billable and non-billable services. In working with its funded Network of Care partnerships, NEDHSA served 149 clients in inpatient facilities.
NEDHSA Executive Director Dr. Monteic A. Sizer said, “we must stay focused on truly meeting the comprehensive health and social needs of marginalized people in Louisiana and the nation, and we must also continue to be innovative in how we conceptualize issues and solve problems on behalf of vulnerable people and communities.”
“We understand the interconnectedness between primary care and behavioral health challenges and are so committed to innovation and improving the overall population health outcomes of those who are mentally ill, addicted, disabled, and poor in Louisiana’s Delta,” Dr. Sizer said. “In this annual report of impact, you will see how we are transforming the region using traditional and non-traditional methods.”
The annual report reveals that NEDHSA reviewed 574 applications for developmental disability eligibility and provided oversight, including Statement of Approval to 506 participants. NEDHSA also provided valuable prevention and wellness services and education in FY23, including completing 791 SYNAR compliance checks, distributing 2,702 NARCAN kits, and enrolling more than 8,500 children and adolescents in evidence-based programs.
The report also shows NEDHSA’s client satisfaction and outcomes for FY23, indicating high client satisfaction rates, with nearly 98 percent of clients stating they would continue NEDHSA services and would recommend our clinics and services to their family, friends, and others. More than 83 percent of surveyed existing adult clients seen in NEDHSA outpatient clinics reported improved functioning, and more than 80 percent of adult clients reported positive treatment outcomes and positive social connectedness. More than 65 percent of adult clients in FY23 reported reduced alcohol/drug use.
Dr. Sizer added, “We will continue to innovate, integrate, form committed partnerships, be a catalyst for, and inspire those we serve. We understand the importance of our work in the lives of so many individuals, families, and communities in Louisiana’s Delta.”
New members of the National Board of Directors include the following:
Tiffany Collie-Bailey is a nonprofit management leader with over two decades working with faith-based healthcare and human services organizations. Since 2018, Collie-Bailey has been the Chief Executive Officer of Girls Inc. of Greater Atlanta, inspiring countless girls to reach their fullest potential.
Wynter Deagle is an accomplished partner in the Privacy and Cybersecurity group of Sheppard Mullin’sDel Mar, California office. Deagle is an experienced trial lawyer who specializes in defending individual and class actions relating to privacy, consumer protection, cybersecurity, false advertising and unfair business practices, and data collection, use and storage practices (including breach-related litigation). Outside of the courtroom, Deagle designs global privacy and cybersecurity compliance programs that satisfy legal obligations while driving business value. Deagle is a passionate advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion in the legal and business communities and provides pro bono representation to non-profits equally committed to these goals.
Laura Kaufmann Belkhayat is a Partner, Capital Markets; Private Equity at Skadden Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP. Kaufmann Belkhayat represents corporate clients, private equity sponsors, REITs and investment banks in a variety of capital markets transactions, including public and private offerings of equity and debt securities and initial public offerings, as well as acquisition finance, spin-off and restructuring transactions. Kaufmann Belkhayat’s experience includes advising on issuances of investment grade and high-yield indebtedness for both issuers and underwriters. In recognition of her work, Kaufmann Belkhayat has been named a leading capital markets attorney by Chambers Global, Chambers USA and IFLR, in addition to having been selected as one of the Top Financing Lawyers in North America by MergerLinks.
Cynthia Medina Carson is an advocate for girls and women and alumna of Girls Inc. of the Valley in Massachusetts. Medina Carson is an organizational and executive growth expert with over 20 years of management experience. In addition to being the CEO of Wager, a salary networking and career management company focused on women and women of color, she’s the Executive Director of Artist One, a live music and entertainment company. In her spare time, Medina Carson leads the Cheeky Monkey Club, a networking group for women who hate to network and heads a $5MM capital campaign for her hometown’s Girls Inc.
Pamela Stewart is the Chief Customer Officer – Retail for the North America Operating Unit of The Coca-Cola Company. Stewart brings a unique blend of leadership and operational expertise to the Girls Inc. board, fueled by a deep commitment to youth causes, having served on the boards of Save the Children, The Coca-Cola Scholarship Foundation, and 3DE by Junior Achievement. Stewart is a director of the Utz snack brands public board. Her accolades for exemplary leadership are numerous and include the 2023 BET Iconic Executive Award; 2022 OUT Magazine’s 20 Global Media & Entertainment Titans; and 2021 Global Top African American in Business by National Diversity Council among others. Stewart also is a member of the esteemed Executive Leadership Council and Black Women on Boards.
Stacey Walker King is a distinguished leader and visionary brand strategist. King holds the position of Chief Brand Officer at MACRO, a renowned multi-platform media company. With a remarkable track record of innovation and connection, King is at the forefront of shaping the cultural landscape. As a trendsetter and unparalleled connector, King has the exceptional ability to unite communities through her signature, must-attend events and generate momentum for the brands she champions. Her unique blend of creativity, strategic vision, and community engagement is a catalyst for positive change, making her a pivotal leader who will play a key role in advancing the mission and impact of Girls Inc. on a national scale.
Girls Inc. is a network of local organizations that works with schools and in communities across the United States and Canada. Through direct service and advocacy Girls Inc. equips girls -particularly girls from low-income communities and girls of color – with the knowledge and skills to effect positive changes in their lives and to become leaders who will change the world. Professionally trained staff and volunteers provide mentorship, safe spaces, and programming that address the unique challenges girls face and are proven to help girls succeed. Together with partners and supporters, Girls Inc. is building the new generation of leaders. Join us at girlsinc.org.
Virtual Event to Highlight How Businesses Can Take Advantage of Barcoding Basics to Break Into Retail
EWING, N.J., Nov. 14, 2023 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — GS1 US and Startup CPG will host a free webinar designed to help businesses understand supply chain fundamentals and be prepared to meet retailer labeling requirements.
Webinar: “Product Identification 101: How UPC Barcodes from GS1 Lead to Growth”
WHAT: A one-hour educational session that will showcase practical tips and expert knowledge, focused on leveraging GS1 Standards to grow a business.
SPEAKER INFORMATION: This free, virtual event will feature tips from Kaitlin Friedmann, marketing director, small business growth, GS1 US. Kaitlin collaborates with members of the small business community to enrich their understanding of barcodes and the value of GS1 product identification. She helps entrepreneurs fuel their own success by developing content, tools and experiences on topics including product launches, e-commerce, supply chain optimization, and working with retailers.
This webinar will show attendees the role of the Global Trade Item Number (GTIN) and the UPC barcode in inventory management, retailer verification processes, and the tracking and tracing of products. Other areas that will be discussed include:
How to estimate how many barcodes a business might need.
Understanding packaging hierarchies, such as the difference between an “each” and an “inner pack.”
How to know when a new GTIN is needed.
Common types of barcodes and how they are evolving to meet consumer expectations.
About GS1 US GS1 US® enables companies to power their supply chains to deliver safe, consistent, authentic, and trusted experiences. Best known as a source for UPC barcodes, GS1 is a not-for-profit, global data standards organization that creates a common language for companies to identify, capture and share trusted data that links their physical and digital supply chains. Millions of businesses around the world power commerce with GS1 Standards. Learn more at http://www.gs1us.org.
Since 2019, Crowley has served as the primary WAA sponsor for Puerto Rico, sponsoring and delivering thousands of wreaths to honor the service of past veterans and their families interred on the island. Since then, the company has continued to expand its service to sponsor and transport wreaths to Philadelphia and Jacksonville, Florida. This expansion epitomizes the company’s commitment to supporting the needs of the U.S. military, families and veterans through helping WAA reach as many veterans’ gravesites as possible, ensuring that their memory and sacrifice are never forgotten.
“Wreaths Across America’s purpose resonates deeply with our people and company values. As an employer that recognizes the value of veteran employees and supports warfighter readiness through supply chain services, we are honored to be a part of this incredible initiative for the fifth year in a row,” said Shiju Zacharia, senior vice president and general manager of Crowley Government Solutions. “By continuing to expand our partnership, we are reinforcing our commitment to our active-duty military and current veterans, as well as paying tribute to the legacies of past service members.”
In addition to providing logistics solutions, hundreds of Crowley employees, many of whom are reservists, veterans or military family members, participate in the annual wreath-laying day ceremonies across the nation.
“This year, thanks in part to support from generous partners like Crowley, Wreaths Across America hopes to honor nearly 3 million servicemembers laid to rest with the placement of a veteran’s wreath. We will remember them by saying their name out loud, while teaching our children about service and sacrifice,” said Karen Worcester, WAA’s executive director. “Crowley’s growing commitment to this yearlong mission is making a positive impact in the communities where their employees and customers live and work. We are proud to be a program worthy of their support.”
To learn more about Wreaths Across America and to sponsor a wreath for a veteran in Puerto Rico, Philadelphia, Jacksonville, Anchorage, South Florida or another location, visit http://www.wreathsacrossamerica.org/crowley.
About Crowley Crowley is a privately held, U.S.-owned and -operated maritime, energy and logistics solutions company serving commercial and government sectors with $3.4 billion in annual revenues, over 170 vessels mostly in the Jones Act fleet and approximately 7,000 employees around the world – employing more U.S. mariners than any other company. The Crowley enterprise has invested more than $3.2 billion in maritime transport, which is the backbone of global trade and the global economy. As a global ship owner-operator and services provider with more than 130 years of innovation and a commitment to sustainability, the company serves customers in 36 nations and island territories through five business units: Crowley Logistics, Crowley Shipping, Crowley Government Solutions, Crowley Wind Services and Crowley Fuels. Additional information about Crowley, its business units and subsidiaries can be found at http://www.crowley.com.
Contributions to the Hope Match Campaign will help continue Episcopal Relief & Development’s asset-based approach to creating sustainable solutions around the world, including:
Supporting parents and caregivers in Ghana to help young children thrive
Training faith leaders in Burundi to help end gender-based violence in their communities
Equipping farmers in Honduras with climate-resilient farming techniques
“At Episcopal Relief & Development, our work around the world relies on partnerships. Together with local leaders, community-based organizations and generous donors, we’re creating real, lasting change that makes a tangible difference in people’s lives, families and communities,” said Xerxes Eclipse, Director, Donor Services, Episcopal Relief & Development. “I’m proud of, and deeply grateful for, our amazing donors. This year, I’m excited that, through the Hope Match Campaign, their generosity will automatically be doubled!”
Contributions made to Episcopal Relief & Development before the end of the year are eligible for matching, including Gifts for Life, and direct contributions online, over the phone, or by mail. Gifts of stocks, Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs), Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs) and from Donor Advised Funds (DAFs) are also included in the Hope Match Campaign.
Donors wishing to take advantage of the dollar-for-dollar match should give their gift between now and December 31. Donate online or call 1.855.312.4325. Gifts can also be mailed to Episcopal Relief & Development, PO Box 3006, Harlan, IA 51593-0024.
ABOUT EPISCOPAL RELIEF & DEVELOPMENT For over 80 years, Episcopal Relief & Development has worked with an extensive network of faith and community partners to advance lasting change in communities affected by injustice, poverty, disaster and climate change. Inspired by our faith, we reach over three million people each year by focusing on four interconnected priorities: nurturing the potential of caregivers and young children, reducing violence against women and girls, strengthening communities’ resilience to climate change and facilitating humanitarian response to disasters. Together with our partners, we leverage what’s working well to drive impact, learning and sustainability. Together, we create lasting change. Join us: episcopalrelief.org
The Archaeological Conservancy is excited to announce a new virtual lecture “Geographies of the Sacred” on November 16, 2023 at 5 PM MST on Zoom Webinars. This event will feature Dr. Matthew J. Martinez, Executive Director of the Mesa Prieta Petroglyph Project, a nonprofit in northern New Mexico whose mission is focused on land stewardship and educational outreach.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M., Nov. 13, 2023 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — The Archaeological Conservancy is excited to announce a new virtual lecture “Geographies of the Sacred” on November 16, 2023 at 5 PM MST on Zoom Webinars. This event will feature Dr. Matthew J. Martinez, Executive Director of the Mesa Prieta Petroglyph Project, a nonprofit in northern New Mexico whose mission is focused on land stewardship and educational outreach.
Former Ohkay Owingeh Governor Herman Agoyo once remarked, “to us, these petroglyphs are not the remnants of some long-lost civilization that has been dead for many years…they are part of our living culture. What is stored in the petroglyphs is not written in any book or to be found in any library. We need to return to them to remind us of who we are and where we came from, and to teach our sons and daughters of it.”
This talk will draw upon landscapes and rock images that reflect movement and living histories. Despite an ongoing misrepresentation of being non-literate, Indigenous people have always been skilled at documenting stories. Tewa people view themselves within a larger ecological system interconnected to all things living. Mesa Prieta or Tsikwaye is one example of a vast landscape comprised of more than 100,000 petroglyphs and archaeological features that date back thousands of years. Located in the northern Rio Grande region, this place is embedded in stories that are foundational to sharing New Mexico histories and beyond.
This lecture series is sponsored by The Archaeological Conservancy and is made possible in part with grant support from the New Mexico Humanities Council. It is free to our Members and the General Public.
*Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this (publication/program) do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities or the New Mexico Humanities Council.
About The Archaeological Conservancy
The Archaeological Conservancy, established in 1980, is the only national non-profit organization dedicated to acquiring and preserving the best of our nation’s remaining archaeological sites. Based in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the Conservancy also operates regional offices in Mississippi, Maryland, Wisconsin, and Nevada. The Conservancy has preserved over 585 sites across the nation.
e-Vision’s research and development projects focus on vision-based optical technologies and electronic wearable frames that are used for a variety of applications. Its optical technologies cover electronic lenses and optics that utilize diffractive, refractive, pixelated and hybrid diffractive/refractive optical designs created by e-Vision’s labs that utilize either embedded or remote/wireless power and control. Its wearable frame undertakings include the incorporation of mobile media, displays and other electronics into and on wearable frames. As a pioneer in electronic lens modulation, e-Vision offers more than 20 years of experience designing and fabricating optics that control and shape light with no moving parts. With its patent portfolio encompassing hundreds of patents issued or pending worldwide, e-Vision has significant intellectual property memorializing its extensive development efforts in these areas over the past 20 years.
e-Vision is a privately held Delaware-based Corporation with its development facility and administrative offices located in Sarasota, Florida. e-Vision believes that its technology will have a transformative influence on the complex lens systems required to bring what can be imagined to reality.
About King & Spalding
King & Spalding LLP is an American international corporate law firm that is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, with offices located in North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. It has over 1,200 lawyers in 23 offices globally.
Forward-looking Statements
This statement contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements may include, but may not be limited to, direct or indirect statements concerning: e-Vision Smart Optics Inc. protection of its rights to the intellectual property and its exposure to intellectual property challenges and litigation. Any forward-looking statements in this statement are based on e-Vision Smart Optics Inc. current expectations and beliefs of future events, and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially and adversely from those set forth in or implied by such forward-looking statements.
Court of record for all cases are the Federal District Court for the Central District of California
Seiko Epson Corporation, Epson America Inc. Case No. 8:23-cv-01858
Lenovo Group, LTD, Lenovo Holding Co., Inc., Lenovo (United States), Inc. Case No. 8:23-cv-01860
Luxottica Group S.P.A., Luxottica U.S. Holdings Corp., and Luxottica of America Inc. Case No. 8:23-cv-02013
To help children attain that future, parents are onboard to help. 81% plan to fund their children’s higher ed, with 28% paying primarily through savings, second only to the 37% of parents who expect help from grants, scholarships or direct aid. Nearly half of all respondents, 47%, had saved at least $5,000 per child.
“After three years of disrupted education experience for our young people, we are seeing that higher ed is an important goal of parents across the nation, and we are pleased to learn that they are valuing and saving for it,” said CSF Chair Vivian Tsai. CSF is a leading national nonprofit helping families save for education for a lifetime.
At the same time, 70% of parents said that higher education has to change, with 38% of those parents saying that the most important changes needed include classes focusing on career needs and training, and 26% desiring schools that provide credentials along with degrees to better meet workforce needs.
The concerns of parents correspond with the findings from CSF’s 14th Annual Youth Survey of high school students released in August 2023, showing that 89% wanted credit for actual work that they plan to do in conjunction with the higher ed institution; and 89% wanted more job placement and counseling services as they embark on their chosen careers.
This focus on career and workforce readiness extends to the parents themselves. Nearly half, 46%, said that they were interested in changing careers and would need additional education or certifications to do that and 17% of respondents have already started.
When asked what kind of credential or diploma is important today, 31% said a four-year degree from a traditional college, 11% said a credential from a vocational or career and technical school, and 54% said both were important, another indicator of the increasing acceptance and importance of workforce training today.
How Families are Saving in 529s
Nearly a third of all parents surveyed, 29%, are saving in a 529 education savings plan, with 80% of those using a strategy of systematic recurring contributions. Of the parents expecting their children to contribute to higher ed costs,18% said their children were saving in a 529 account. Some other highlights:
Preferred method of saving: 20% of all parents said 529s are their primary way to save, on par with the 21% primarily using non-tax advantaged CDs or bank savings accounts.
Awareness of usability: 40% of all respondents knew that 529s may cover qualified tuition and expenses for career and technical/vocational education as well as traditional 4-year college. One quarter (26%) are aware that 529s may be eligible to be rolled over into a Roth IRA in the beneficiary’s name beginning in 2024.
Roughly one-quarter of respondents are aware that 529s can be used for computers, books and technology software; that 529s may be used for up to $10,000 for K-12 tuition; and that 529s can be used toward student loans, with a lifetime maximum of $10,000 per student.
Parents’ own careers: 27% of all parents said that they know a 529 education savings plan can be used for their own education, and 22% plan to use it in that way.
A 529 Debit card: CSF asked parents if a 529 offered a debit card for qualified education expenses, would they allow their child to use it. 71% of all parents said “yes,” of which 40% said that option would be convenient and 31% would agree to it as long as they can apply spending limits.
Other Ways to Pay for Higher Ed
Most parents (84%) are having conversations with their children about the costs of higher education and their involvement in it. A significant majority of parents (69%) expect their children to help pay for higher ed, primarily through jobs, scholarships, grants and fellowships.
Even with saving and student participation, a substantial majority of parents (65%) still would take out loans, with 61% anticipating education loans. Among the 35% who would not take out loans, 52% of them said it’s because they “do not want debt.”
How Families Pay for Higher Ed at Different Life Stages
The survey provided insight into families’ plans for higher education with a section for parents with children 15-17 years old and one for parents whose children are between the ages of 18-25.
Among parents with children aged 15-17, 50% said their child was heading to traditional public (37%) or private (13%) schools. An additional 13% said their children were going to vocational or career and technical schools, and 12% to community college. 16% said their children didn’t know yet, but 4% expect their children to go to workforce training and credentialing and 3% into the military out of high school.
Among the parents of 18-25-year-olds, 47% of all those said their child was in a 4-year college (31% public and 16% private), 15% in community college, 7% in career and technical ed, 3% in workforce training/credentialling, 3% in the military, and 21% not attending higher ed at all.
Across all the educational opportunities available, 81% of these parents said their child believed their choices were preparing them for the future. When asked why, almost half (44%) focused on the coursework being relevant to their career choice. 21% said it offered a basic educational credential from which they can specialize in the future, and 18% cited access to internships and work experience. 40% of this group said that tuition and fees incurred for higher ed today represent a good value for the education their child is receiving.
The CSF 2023 State of Higher Ed Savings survey of parents was conducted with 1,000 parents across the country via Survey Monkey. The College Savings Foundation (CSF) is a Washington, D.C.– based not-for-profit organization helping American families achieve their education savings goals for a lifetime. www.collegesavingsfoundation.org
