No Section

A modest investment in the future of St. Paul's kids

Mayor Carter wants to start college funds for every child born in the city.

By Editorial Board

January 20, 2018 at 12:02AM

Melvin Carter spoke after taking the oath of office during his swearing-in ceremony as St. Paul mayor earlier this month. (The Minnesota Star Tribune)

St. Paul's newly elected mayor wants to make sure that every kid in his city gets an early start on saving for post-high-school education. In his recent inaugural speech, Melvin Carter said one of his top priorities is offering $50 to start funds for "every child born in St. Paul.''

Given the high cost of education, that small amount seems insignificant, and the effort may appear more symbolic than substantive. But the idea is worth pursuing.

Here's why: Creating college savings accounts sends a message to students and families that education after high school is possible. The initiative has potential to change the mind-sets of families who feel postsecondary education is out of reach.

These kinds of programs also demonstrate that communities believe in students and care about their futures. The modest seed funding can help leverage additional education dollars for students as they move through their K-12 schooling and may prompt some families to start their own regular savings plans.

Carter plans to work with businesses, philanthropists and nonprofits to help fund the effort, and it's not clear if any city money would be used. If Carter is successful, St. Paul would be one of an increasing number of U.S. cities or states establishing similar types of funds.

During the past several years, cities including San Francisco and St. Louis and the states of Nevada, Rhode Island and Maine have launched college savings programs. The Minneapolis Youth Coordinating Board has been working on a savings program for a little over a year, and about $40,000 is in this year's city budget with hopes that the program can be implemented in 2019.

Specifics of the St. Paul plan have yet to be worked out, but other programs are worth studying. College Kids in St. Louis, for example, provides every kindergartner enrolled in a city public or charter school with $50 in a college savings account. Through contributions made by businesses and foundations, students can earn additional contributions for outstanding attendance and academic performance.

In the San Francisco program, the funds can be used for tuition at community or technical colleges and for other types of postsecondary training.

The value of these types of funds is supported by data. Researchers at Washington University in St. Louis and the University of Kansas, for example, found that children who have education savings accounts were five to seven times more likely to attend college than those without one. And another study reported that saving plans improve student social-emotional learning and their sense of hope about the future. More good reasons to expand higher education jump-start accounts to St. Paul.