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Subject: Personnel

ScholarShare 529 Welcomes Patricia Roberts, J.D. as College Countdown Host


ScholarShare 529 proudly announces Gift of College, Inc. Chief Operating Officer Patricia A. Roberts, J.D. as the new host of College Countdown, a resource that provides vital information and peer connections for parents of college-bound teenagers.

Navigating the college journey in today's higher education landscape requires informed decisions from parents. Recognizing this need, ScholarShare 529, California's official college savings plan, introduced an online resource called College Countdown. The site pairs curated content about nearly every aspect of putting students through college with a Parent Advisory Council that provides insight from parents who have already sent their kids to college.

Roberts joins College Countdown with unmatched expertise. Her passion for higher education and her career as a financial services professional have positively impacted thousands of families across the U.S. As the author of "Route 529: A Parent's Guide to Saving for College and Career Training with 529 Plans" and a motivational speaker, Roberts is a go-to resource for the media and for those desiring to learn more about preparing for higher education and minimizing student debt.

"I know firsthand the many wonderful doors that higher education opened for me," said Roberts. "And as the mom of a recent grad, it's my pleasure to be a guide, as the host of College Countdown, for other parents with teens on the college journey as they help them to pursue their academic and career dreams."

Visit the website: CollegeCountdown.ScholarShare529.com

Request demo: Media members interested in learning more about College Countdown and how its contributors can help with their coverage should request a website demo. Contact Alma Murphy at [email protected] to learn more.

About ScholarShare 529: ScholarShare 529 is California's official college savings plan. Administered by the ScholarShare Investment Board, ScholarShare 529 provides families with a valuable tool that offers a diverse set of investment options, tax-deferred growth, and withdrawals free from state and federal taxes when used for qualified higher education expenses, such as tuition and fees, books, certain room and board costs, computer equipment, and other required supplies. To open a ScholarShare 529 account or get more information about the plan, visit www.ScholarShare529.com. For information about the ScholarShare Investment Board, visit www.treasurer.ca.gov/scholarshare, like ScholarShare 529 on Facebook at www.facebook.com/scholarshare529, and follow them on Twitter at @ScholarShare529.

About Patricia Roberts, J.D.: Roberts is currently Chief Operating Officer at Gift of College, Inc., where innovations are created to help friends, family, employers, organizations, and communities support individuals with saving for college, saving for disability-related expenses, and paying down student loan debt, and whose suite of products and services include gift cards, an employee benefit platform offering payroll deduction and employer contribution technology for student loan repayment and college and disability savings, and a disbursement card for payment of qualified higher education expenses from 529 plan accounts. Before her current role, Roberts held key legal, product, and program management roles at major financial services firms. She also designed and launched several first-of-their-kind philanthropic programs, such as CollegeBound Baby in Rhode Island and NYC Kids RISE in New York, through which families receive seed money for college savings accounts along with valuable financial education and incentives to help them save on their own. With over two decades of professional experience, as author of "Route 529: A Parent's Guide to Saving for College and Career Training with 529 Plans," and as a mom who's been there, Patricia is a sought-after resource and speaker on topics relating to parenting, family finance, and pursuit of higher education.

Note to editors: High-resolution images of Roberts and College Countdown are available upon request. For interviews and additional information, contact Roberts at [email protected].



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