Arizona students can win $529 for their college savings accounts

TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — State Treasurer Kimberly Yee is kicking off a contest for 5th and 6th graders at Douglas Elementary School.

It's never too early to start saving for your child's education after high school.

Yee is in Tucson kicking off a statewide essay competition.

Sixth graders at Douglas Elementary learned how they could win $529 for their college savings accounts.

It was Yee's first stop on a statewide tour.

Students can win simply through submitting an essay about what their dream job is and how they plan on achieving it.

Twenty winners, with one from every Arizona county chosen.

But Yee says everyone can be a winner by saving for college early and often.

“If a family starts saving $50 a month and putting that aside, over 18 years you can have $20,000 in the bank with interest,” Yee said.

Essays are limited ro three paragraphs long with a maximum of 350 words, and the deadline to submit them is Sunday, Oct. 1.