McRae: The State of Mississippi’s education savings programs are strong
By Treasurer David McRae
This month, I had the honor of testifying before the Mississippi Senate Universities and Colleges Committee about the strength of Mississippi’s College and Career Savings program. My message was simple and direct: Mississippi’s education savings programs are strong, stable, and built for the future.
That was not always the case. When I took office, the MPACT Legacy program, which allows families to lock in rates and prepay college tuition, was only 72 percent funded and headed toward a taxpayer-funded bailout. That was unacceptable.
Five years later, the Legacy program is more than 100 percent funded, and its successor, the MPACT Horizon program, is more than 140 percent funded. This turnaround did not happen by accident. Working closely with the Legislature, our team reformed the program’s investment strategy so we could do more with every dollar entrusted to us, strengthening the program without asking taxpayers to foot the bill.
At the same time, we modernized Mississippi College and Career Savings (MACS), a tax-advantaged savings program designed to give families flexibility. The 2017 Trump tax cuts expanded how these accounts could be used, and from my first day in office, our team moved quickly to put those changes into action.
Today, MACS funds can be used for apprenticeships, certification programs, tools and equipment needed in training for skilled trades, K–12 private school tuition, and even classroom supplies for teachers. These programs recognize that a four-year degree is not the only path to success, and that Mississippi’s workforce needs many kinds of training.
We have also expanded how families can contribute. Mississippians can now fund their accounts using Venmo, PayPal, and even cryptocurrency, making it easier for families who do not rely on traditional banking to save for the future.
More than 35,000 Mississippi families now hold an MPACT plan, and more than 23,000 invest through MACS. Looking ahead, my goal is to grow those numbers and ensure that every child who has benefited from Mississippi’s education miracle has a real opportunity to afford the training or education needed to build a good-paying career right here at home.
To learn more about these programs, visit treasury.ms.gov/collegesavings or call (601) 359-5255. Thank you for the opportunity to serve you.
Mississippi Treasurer David McRae is the 55th Treasurer for the State of Mississippi. In this role, he helps manage the state’s cash flow, oversees College and Career Savings Mississippi, and has returned more than $140 million in unclaimed money to Mississippians. For more information, visit Treasury.MS.gov.
