Parents and guardians of children in the 5th grade are eligible to enroll in the Child Savings Account (CSA) Program.
The STeAM program is the first of its kind to offer a financial pathway to college or trade school for 5th grade students at Taylor Elementary School.
Young adults who save for college are 2x more likely to graduate high school and 3x more likely to complete college, regardless of race or ethnicity. By including a Child Savings Account (CSA) Program in this project, we hope to provide a savings mechanism and pathway towards college or trade school for participants and their families.
Each 5th grade child whose parent enrolls in the CSA Program receives a $75 deposit in an AR Brighter Future 529 Gift Plan to launch (or supplement) educational savings. A 529 is designed to encourage savings for higher education and/or trade school expenses of a designated child.
Financial Education: We understand that financial knowledge is a vital life skill. We will offer bi-monthly financial education classes that cover topics such as savings, budgeting, credit, and strategies for paying for college or job training. We encourage you to attend these informative sessions with your child.
Bi-Monthly Financial Education Classes will be held at the Taylor Elementary School Cafeteria, from 5:30-6:30pm, on the following dates:
2024 – October 24 and December 12
2025 – February 13, April 10, and June 12
We share 529 Plan savings ideas such as depositing tooth fairy coins, birthday cash, and/or weekly allowances!
Please visit the following websites for more information about:
Piloting simple and effective strategies for helping Delta-based youth succeed in high school and college and accumulate less debt
Please email Marcia Shobe at mshobe@uark.edu to enroll your child and to learn more about the financial education classes.
Our work will have local, state, and national implications for asset building and post-secondary education and training for rural communities. We know that there are limited banking opportunities available in neighborhoods with high rates of poverty, tax expenditures that do not apply to low-income households, and restricted opportunities to access affordable education. We will share our findings and the implications of our research with Arkansas legislators to help draft policy and create transformative opportunities for youth and their families in the Delta region and across the state.