Roger Williams University Joins Private College 529 Plan, Allowing Tomorrow's Students to Lock In Today's Tuition Rates

BRISTOL, R.I., Oct. 7, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- In a move that furthers the University's commitment to addressing college affordability for students and families – a key focus via its Affordable Excellence initiative – Roger Williams University has joined the Private College 529 Plan (PC529), a pre-paid tuition savings plan that allows participating families to lock in today's tuition rates for future use.

The PC529 plan allows families to purchase tuition certificates that guarantee the student's tuition at the current tuition rate for 30 years from date of purchase – no matter how much tuition rises or what happens in the financial markets.

"At Roger Williams University, we are dedicated to providing a superior quality education while continually decreasing the cost burden on our students," says Catherine C. Capolupo, vice president for enrollment management. "By joining Private College 529 Plan's consortium of private universities, we are taking another step forward in our commitment to making a college education more accessible and affordable for today's families."

Roger Williams University is the first private university in Rhode Island to join the program and become one of more than 275 private colleges and universities participating as Private College 529 Plan member schools. The plan adds to a growing list of affordability measures at RWU through its Affordable Excellence initiative, which has kept tuition frozen since 2012 and offers all continuously enrolled students a guaranteed tuition rate for all four years of undergraduate study.

"Roger Williams University has clearly established itself as a leader in the effort to address rising tuition costs and student debt," says Nancy Farmer, president of Private College 529 Plan. "We are pleased to welcome them to our prestigious consortium of colleges and universities throughout the country. As a member of the plan, RWU gives students the opportunity to attend this highly regarded institution and offers families guaranteed tuition and a viable solution for their college planning strategies."

Private College 529 Plan is offered by the Tuition Plan Consortium, LLC (TPC), a national group of private colleges and universities. For more information, visit www.privatecollege529.com or www.tomorrowstuitiontoday.org.

About RWU:
Roger Williams University, located in Bristol, R.I., is a leading independent, coeducational university with programs in the liberal arts and the professions, where students become community- and globally-minded citizens through project-based, experiential learning. Offering 43 majors and a plethora of co-curricular activities as well as study abroad options, RWU is dedicated to the success of students, commitment to a set of core values, the pursuit of affordable excellence and to providing a relevant, world-class education above all else. In the last decade, the University has achieved unprecedented successes including recognition as one of the best colleges in the nation by Forbes, a College of Distinction by Student Horizons, Inc. and as both a best college in the Northeast and one of the nation's greenest universities by The Princeton Review.

About Private College 529 Plan^SM
Owned and operated by more than 270 leading private colleges and universities, Private College 529 Plan was created by authorization of the U.S. Congress for colleges and their consortia to help families save for college and increase the affordability and accessibility of higher education. Private College 529 Plan enables families to invest in their children's future by prepaying tuition at member institutions, protecting their savings from annual tuition inflation. 

The educational mix of private institutions participating in Private College 529 Plan provides families with a wide range of college choices. As opposed to other state specific congressionally authorized plans, Private College 529 Plan has a national scope, with participating private colleges across the United States. It also differs in that its administrative management is by the institutions themselves as opposed to government.

Today, Private College 529 Plan is working for over 6,000 families with more than $310 million under management.

For more information, visit https://www.privatecollege529.com/.

SOURCE Private College 529 Plan