WARSAW — Because the YMCA believes in supporting the hopes and dreams of youth in our community and encouraging them to pursue their dreams through education, our county is in year two of the Kosciusko County Promise pilot program. The Promise program is providing new tools to kindergarten through second grade students and their families.

One of these tools is offering families the opportunity to enroll their student in a free CollegeChoice 529 savings account during school registration. Parents will need both their social security number and their child’s social security number to enroll. To help families get started with their savings, Parkview Health will make a $25 investment into every new CollegeChoice 529 account for kindergarten through second grade students who enroll during the school registration period. Information about the match will be available at school registration and other school events.

In addition to helping start a college savings account, Kosciusko Promise will introduce kindergarten through second grade students in Kosciusko County to the idea of going to college. They will visit the Grace College campus in the fall.

529 funds can be used at any eligible post-secondary school around the country and abroad, not just in Indiana, including two or four year colleges, graduate schools (including law and medical), vocational/technical schools and some certification programs. Also, Indiana taxpayers are eligible for a state income tax credit of 20 percent of contributions to a CollegeChoice 529 account, up to $1,000 credit per year.

“Students who have their own college savings account are seven times more likely to attend college. However, this project is not just about saving for post-secondary education. This project is about instilling hope in our children, investing in the future of our community and ensuring that we are building a foundation where everyone believes they can achieve,” said Chad Zaucha CEO of Kosciusko Community YMCA.