News Release

Harrisburg, PA - Treasurer Stacy Garrity today announced the top award winner of Treasury’s 529 Day promotion, which was available for new PA 529 GSP accounts opened in May 2022. The winning account owners, Zach and Brittany Hebert of Allegheny County, received a deposit of $5,290 in the new PA 529 Guaranteed Savings Plan (GSP) account they opened for their son.

PA 529 College and Career Savings Program accounts are designed to help PA families steadily and strategically save for future educational expenses – including universities, community colleges and trade schools – with significant state and federal tax advantages.

“It’s tremendous to be able to help families save for their child’s future in this impactful way. This one-time infusion will certainly boost the Hebert family’s savings for their child, and I hope their story will motivate more families to start saving with PA 529. I look forward to providing more incentives for PA 529 account owners, and to those who may be thinking about opening a PA 529.”

Pennsylvania State Treasurer, Stacy Garrity

“As new parents, countless everyday expenses constantly pop up and make saving for the future challenging. Through the PA 529 program, we have been able to set-up recurring, consistent contributions to an account for our son’s education. We’ve been able to enjoy peace of mind that comes with knowing we’re setting our son up for success. Although college is certainly not the only path for success, the PA 529 program, and this extremely generous award, help to ensure our son will have a full range of educational opportunities. And for that, we are incredibly grateful.”

Promotion Winner, Zach Hebert

The 529 Day Promotion also included 59 county-specific winners of $529 deposits for their new PA 529 GSP accounts. Awards were available for all 67 counties as part of the promotion, and 59 counties had at least one new account opened. All award deposits were paid for with surplus earnings from the GSP fund.

“Continuing education is extremely important to both my husband and I. We each obtained bachelor’s degrees immediately after graduating high school and went into the workforce afterwards. We want to set ourselves up financially to provide our children with the same opportunity.”

Franklin County Winner, Melinda Rush

“I was so excited to win. I just moved to PA and decided to start my kid’s college savings in my new home state. I rarely win contests, but my kids are the real winners here.”

Wayne County Winner, Susan Grosso

“Opening a PA 529 College Savings Plan is a win-win proposition. Anyone can open an account with whatever amount they choose and receive professional money management to save for postsecondary education for a loved one. You can choose a plan that fits your investment style. I’m glad I opened a 529 account when my son attended college years ago. Now, I’m taking care of my grandson’s future, too.”

McKean County Winner, Mary Pierotti

“This promotion reached all corners of the Commonwealth. The extra deposits will help new account owners as they save for their children’s future. We’re excited to help families save and to see their children succeed.”

Pennsylvania State Treasurer, Stacy Garrity

Treasury offers two PA 529 plans; the PA 529 GSP, which allows families to save at today’s tuition rates to meet tomorrow’s tuition costs, and the Morningstar Silver-Rated PA 529 Investment Plan (IP) that offers a variety of investment options. PA 529 plans can be used for a wide variety of qualifying technical, collegiate, apprenticeship and K-12 educational expenses at most schools in the country.

Since taking office, Treasurer Garrity has eliminated the minimum deposit required to get started with PA 529, lowered minimum contributions to just $1, infused PA 529 GSP accounts with $100 deposits, waived PA 529 GSP asset-based fees for one year, and reduced fees for PA 529 IP account holders.

Over the more than 30 years of PA 529, the program has helped families pay more than $5 billion in higher education expenses. Right now, more than 274,000 PA 529 accounts have nearly $7 billion in assets.

To learn more, visit pa529.com or call (800) 440-4000.