More than 13,000 Florida families have enrolled in a new state program that links preschool registration with college savings accounts, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced last week.
The partnership between Florida’s Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) program and Florida Prepaid allows families to open a 529 college savings account when they enroll their child in the state’s free pre-K program. Florida was among the first states to develop a combined application process of this kind.
Families who open an account through the joint process receive $100 to get their savings started. They are also entered into a monthly $1,000 raffle.
Florida’s Prepaid College Savings Plan, established in 1987, is the largest prepaid tuition program in the country and allows families to lock in future college tuition, fees, and dormitory costs at today’s prices. The VPK program, which launched in 2005, provides free pre-K to all four-year-olds regardless of family income and has served more than 3.1 million children since its inception.
The state has also recently added a 15-hour literacy training requirement for VPK teachers and a new accountability system to track students’ math and reading progress before they enter elementary school.
Families can apply through the Department of Education’s early learning portal.
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