White Picket College

The Wells Fargo CollegeSTEPS program has nothing to do with financial need.  Instead, students from all financial backgrounds are welcome to apply.  Wells Fargo Bank sponsors CollegeSTEPS for all high school seniors that apply to the program.  The aim of CollegeSTEPS is to keep students on track in the college application process.

The program helps students learn how to receive the best student college financial aid, how to study during the senior year and how to make effective campus visits.  The best part is the student simply signs up for email updates and s/he is automatically enrolled in the $1000 CollegeSTEPS Sweepstakes.  Therefore, there are no long projects, series of essays or letters of recommendations.  Students sign up to receive free advice and increase their chances of winning $1000.

When enrolling in the program, there is no purchase necessary.  The official rulebook says you can be a freshman through senior; however, we’ve read it is only open to seniors.  Students must be eligible for graduation to sign up.  Only one entry per person is allowed.  Students must have an active email account.

Drawings occur every three months.  Winners receive one $1000 529 plan courtesy of Wells Fargo Bank.  To understand what a 529 plan is please read 529 College Savings Plans.  This investment will help the student start an account to save for college.  It’s a nice way to start a small investment plan for the studen’ts education.  Therefore, signing up for CollegeSTEPS may be a good idea for students as freshmen and sophomores so they can save up for a few years before using the money toward college tuition and other expenses.

White Picket College’s recommendation is to sign up.  It can’t hurt.  Getting $1000 toward college is not bad, especially if it’s the start of a larger investment.  It’s best for students to check with parents and read the rules of the program together.  There is a good chance of winning since Wells Fargo plans to award 5 winners per drawing.

Wells Fargo provides students with an email newsletter full of information.  It also has an email newsletter for guidance counselors.  It’s another resource for students to plan for college.  Wells Fargo is also connected with FastWeb, one of the most reputable sources for college scholarship money.

If you check out the Wells Fargo CollegeSTEPS website, there is a list of past winners for the 2009-2010 Sweepstakes.  So why not try your chances and win big?

Deadline: We read between October and May of each year.  But double check with Wells Fargo.

© White Picket College, 2010 – College Funding for the Upper Middle Class