We invest in our children in many ways — helping them with new skills, cheering them on in sport activities, and doing all we can to help them learn and succeed in the future. Future success is more possible — and children have more options open to them — when young people continue their education after high school. Partners have come forward to help give the youth of the Boothbay region a boost in planning for higher education — whether it be college, trade school or a certificate program.

The Finance Authority of Maine (FAME) and the Boothbay Region Community Resource Council (BRCRC), have launched the Boothbay Region Higher Education Initiative. These partners want to work with families and the local community to encourage children in the Boothbay region to think about their future, and take the steps to be ready for it. In particular, the Initiative hopes to encourage families to take the steps to begin planning for their children’s future higher education.

The Initiative is designed to help those families currently living in Boothbay, Boothbay Harbor, Southport or Edgecomb with children under age 18, with a head start on a NextGen College Investing Plan® account. BRCRC will fund a $25 initial contribution for those eligible families who open a NextGen account to help fund qualified higher education expenses. Once a NextGen account has been opened for a child, other friends and family members can also contribute to that child’s future success!

Accounts must be opened between Oct. 15, 2017 and Dec. 31, 2017.

How does it work? There are three steps to open a NextGen account and enroll in the promotion. You must have a valid email address to open an account online, and be sure to have the social security numbers for each child as well as for yourself, the account owner (also called “participant”).

With the $25 contribution, you don’t need any of your own money to open an account. Please read the Boothbay Higher Education Initiative 2017 Guidelines available at BoothbayRegion2017. Eligible accounts may also receive a $200 Initial Matching Grant.¹

Complete these three steps to open a NextGen account to qualify for the $25 contribution.

1. To open a Client Direct Series account online — visit NextGenforME.com and click Open an Account/Enroll Online.
2. On the second online application screen, click “Do you have an offer code?” Enter and apply the offer code BRCRC in the box. You must enter this code at the bottom of the second screen to receive the $25contribution, if eligible. You will not be required to submit an initial contribution at the time of account opening.
3. Complete the online application and submit. The application will be considered successfully opened when you receive the new account number from Merrill Lynch, the NextGen Program Manager. Please allow sufficient time for processing. Two weeks is recommended.

This opportunity is limited to participants opening an account for a beneficiary who is not already named as a beneficiary on an existing NextGen account. New accounts which name eligible children as the beneficiaries will qualify for a $25 contribution. Only one contribution per eligible child.

This is a wonderful opportunity for the children of the Boothbay region.

If you have any questions, or are looking for more information please don’t hesitate to contact Eva Giles, college savings program manager, Finance Authority of Maine, 207-620-3542, or 1-800-228-3734 or by email at egiles@famemaine.com.

¹ Grants are linked to eligible Maine accounts. See Terms & Conditions of Maine Grant Programs for other conditions and restrictions that apply at NextGenforME.com.

The Boothbay Region Community Resource Council is not an authorized distributor of the NextGen College Investing Plan®. Acceptance of these funds is the account owner’s authorization for FAME to undertake, at its discretion, investigation to verify that the NextGen account owner and beneficiary meet the program requirements. FAME reserves the right at all times to require evidence of eligibility and may conduct investigations to determine eligibility without obtaining additional consent from the NextGen account owner or beneficiary. In the event a subsequent investigation reveals that the funds were obtained through misrepresentation or fraud, FAME may revoke the contribution