Tuition program begins open enrollment

State Treasurer Kate Marshall and the Nevada College Savings Plans Board announced Monday the open enrollment period for the Nevada Prepaid Tuition Program will run from Wednesday to April 24.

In the past 11 years, some 13,000 Nevada children have been enrolled in the Nevada Prepaid Tuition Program, which enables parents, grandparents, and family friends to lock in future college tuition rates at today's prices.

"A college education is a gift that will last a lifetime, and will most certainly pave the way to a more successful future," Marshall said. "The cost of attending college continues to escalate. The Nevada Prepaid Tuition Program can help make a profound difference in a family's ability to better prepare for their child's impending higher education needs."

From newborns to ninth grade students, parents have a variety of options to make participation in this program easy. Parents can choose to pay a lump sum, spread the payment out over five years with 60 equal payments, or pay each month from the time of enrollment until the child is ready to start college. The program is fully transferable to private or public out-of-state colleges and universities, and can be transferred to another family member, including a first cousin.

"In today's trying economic times, although it is difficult to find discretionary money to commit to a college savings plan, the Nevada Prepaid Tuition Program provides an affordable option that can open a world of opportunity for a child when the time comes to meet the challenge of paying for higher education," Marshall said.

For more information on the Nevada Prepaid Tuition Program, go to nevadatreasurer.gov/cshome.htm, or call 702- 486-2025 or toll free,

1-888-477-2667.