Arkansas Treasurer Martha Shoffner and Upromise Investments Expand College Savings Opportunities with the Launch of Ugift

Innovative Online Resource Makes It Easier for Families and Friends to Give the Gift of College Savings

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. -- Arkansas State Treasurer Martha Shoffner and Upromise Investments, Inc. announced the rollout of Ugift for the GIFT College Investing Plan. The GIFT Plan is a 529 college savings plan sponsored by the State of Arkansas. Ugift is a new online resource that makes it easy for GIFT Plan account owners to invite family and friends to make gift contributions to a child's 529 college savings plan account in lieu of traditional gifts.

On April 28, Ugift became available for account owners of the GIFT Plan. Using the Plan website, account owners can send invitations via email or print gift coupons to give to family and friends for a birthday, holiday, or other celebration. Gift contributions are tied to the celebration and the specific GIFT Plan account and can be monitored online by the account owner. The minimum gift amount is $15, less than the average cost of a child's birthday gift.

"Helping Arkansas residents bring their college savings goals within reach is a high priority for my office and for our partners at Upromise Investments. With the addition of Ugift to our already successful GIFT Plan, we now have another excellent tool to help people save for college," said Ms. Shoffner.

"Many Arkansans are very concerned about saving for college for their loved ones. Ugift is an exciting and simple way for families and friends to help ease that burden," explained Mark Chapleau, President of Upromise Investments. "Easily accessed, technology-friendly tools give account holders more opportunity to rise to the challenge of investing for college. Through innovations like Ugift, we are continually working on ways to make college investing easier for account owners."

Since the beginning of November 2007, Ugift has been rolled out across four plans in three states, with over 4,400 celebrations created and over $438,300 in contributed gifts.

For more information about The GIFT College Investing Plan call 1-800-587-7301 or visit www.thegiftplan.com to obtain a Program Description and Participation Agreement, which includes investment objectives, risks, charges, expenses and other information; read and consider it carefully before making an investment or sending money. Upromise Investments, Inc., Distributor and Underwriter.

If you are not a Arkansas taxpayer, consider before investing whether your or the designated beneficiary's home state offers any state tax or other benefits that are only available for investments in such state's qualified tuition program.

The GIFT College Investing Plan is a college tuition savings program sponsored by the State of Arkansas. Upromise Investments, Inc., which serves as Program Manager, has overall responsibility for the day-to-day operations of the Plan, including effecting transactions, and marketing and distributing the Plan. The Vanguard Group, Inc. serves as Investment Manager for the Plan. The Plan's portfolios, although they invest in Vanguard[R] mutual funds, are not mutual funds. Units of the Portfolios are municipal securities and the value of units will vary with market conditions. Investment returns are not guaranteed, and you could lose money by investing in the GIFT Plan.

The GIFT Plan and The GIFT Plan logo are trademarks of the State of Arkansas.

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