Lowndes Co. pre-K student gets a head start on higher education

HAHIRA, Ga. (WALB) - Young parents – listen up! It’s never too soon to start saving for your child’s education. Fortunately, there are many programs in Georgia that help with that.

Oliver Lemmon, a pre-K student at Hahira Elementary has been awarded over $1,500 from the Path2College 529 Plan. A plan that helps parents save for their child’s higher education over time.

“The importance, for us, is that it allows us to plan for the future and not have the pressure in that planning. The good thing about the 529 plan is that we can use it anywhere. It doesn’t have to be in the state of Georgia,” William Lemmon, Oliver’s father, said. “They can pursue any career path that they want, and this allows the flexibility in that.”

The funds are available for more than just tuition, your savings will grow more due to tax advantages, and unused benefits can be used for other eligible family members.

“Throughout the years whenever this child goes to college, it will certainly be a larger amount for that child,” Neil Wilkes, principal of Hahira Elementary, said. “That’s one of our primary goals in education: for a child to be excited, ready, and prepared for whenever they do go to college.”

Hahira Elementary’s Pre-K Program also received a matched donation of over $1,500.

“We are blessed in both areas,” Wilkes said. “Since they’re matching this amount of money, it really helps the teachers for next year. Certainly, to be able to see that funding for resources and other avenues.”

Parents, legal guardians or grandparents with children in Georgia’s PreK Program are encouraged to sign up for this sweepstakes. That way your child or grandchild can also get a head start on their path from PreK to college.

The sweepstakes is now closed but will open again for the 2023-2024 school year in March 2024.

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