Saving for College is a separate program operated through the Wellington Schools Endowment Fund and administered by the Endowment Board of Trustees. This program, developed in 1990 and modified in 1998, is designed to encourage parents to begin a college savings plan for their children at a young age. The money is invested with the Ohio Tuition Trust Authority in the College Advantage program. Parents, grandparents, or other family members may choose from among several options. These options range from fixed income investment strategies to very aggressive stock programs. College Advantage is Ohio’s 529 Plan. Earnings are tax-free and the contributions are tax deductible on your Ohio taxes.

How the program works
Any Wellington public school student in grades one through twelve may invest in any of the Ohio Tuition Trust Authority's College Advantage investment options through the course of the calendar year and receive a match from the Saving for College program. In December, the board meets to determine the Saving for College match based on available funds and the level of family participation. The Saving for College matching funds are then added to the student's contribution. (Graduating seniors’ final match is in the fall of their senior year.) Previously, the Endowment has provided a 25% match on the first $1,000 in contributions made to the student's Saving for College  account. Due to the increasing number of participants, final matching amounts are not determined until parents' contributions have been totaled. Students' College Advantage annual statements need to be reviewed by December 30 to allow time to forward funds to the Ohio Tuition Trust Authority. Wellington is the only school in the state of Ohio offering this plan. It is truly a one-of-a-kind program.

For more information on how the Ohio Tuition Trust’s College Advantage Program works, please visit their web site at www.collegeadvantage.com. For more information on the Saving for College program, please contact Endowment Coordinator Darlene Kalman at 440-647-5641.