HARTFORD, CT - State Treasurer Denise L. Nappier announced Friday that the fifth annual CHET Dream Big! Competition is underway. Dream Big! is a competition that encourages Connecticut students in grades K through 5 to share their dreams about life after college. The contest will award 96 students with a $300 contribution to a CHET 529 college savings plan.
“The CHET Dream Big! Competition inspires young students to dream about what they will do after they attend college,” said Treasurer Nappier who serves as Trustee for the Connecticut Higher Education Trust (CHET), the state’s direct-sold 529 college savings plan. “It also gives parents and guardians the opportunity to start—or continue—to save for their child’s future education with a contribution to a CHET direct-sold 529 college savings plan.”
Last year’s competition garnered a record number of 5,500 entries—a 150 percent increase from the previous year.
The CHET Dream Big! Competition includes two categories: a picture submission and an essay submission. Students in grades K through 3 are asked to draw a picture that answers the question, “What do I want to do after I go to college?” Fourth and fifth graders are asked to submit essays responding to the question, “How will I change the world after I go to college?” Entries are judged on five criteria: creativity, originality, portrayal of theme, spelling and grammar. One girl and one boy from each grade from each of the state’s eight counties will be selected as winners. The winners will receive a $300 contribution to a CHET account. In addition, the first 100 teachers to submit entries on behalf of their students will receive a $50 gift card for school supplies.
“We are encouraging students to start thinking about their future today because it is never too early to start planning for the future,” Treasurer Nappier said. “The cost of higher education continues to increase each year and financially preparing for those costs now can help make students’ dreams become a reality.”
The competition runs through March 22, 2013. Rules and entry details can be found at www.CHETDreamBig.com or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/CHETcollegesavings.
