SACRAMENTO – ScholarShare, California’s 529 college savings plan, is celebrating National College Savings Month with a College Savings Pledge.

From Tuesday, Sept. 1, through Friday, Sept. 25, Californians who take the pledge will enter for the chance to win one of 20 ScholarShare 529 accounts each in the amount of $500 for their child or loved one.

The pledge is aimed at encouraging young children to aspire to go to college – whether that is a community college, four-year university or trade school – and educating parents and guardians about the importance of saving for college and the benefits of California’s 529 plan.

“The great equalizer between the haves and have nots has always been education. However, stagnant wage growth coupled with an explosion in college tuition has pushed that education out of the reach of many California families. Early, steady savings are among the best ways to restore the affordability of a college degree. Parents can open a ScholarShare 529 account with as little as $25 and make a college education – and its many benefits – a real and affordable opportunity for their children,” California State Treasurer John Chiang said.

Now through Friday, Sept. 25, eligible Californians can take the College Savings Pledge at www.CollegeSavingsPledge.com .

Twenty winners will be awarded a $500 contribution to a new or existing ScholarShare 529 account, for a California student between the ages of 3 and 14. The teachers of the designated beneficiaries will also receive a $500 Visa gift card, to help support their efforts in inspiring children to dream big and go to college.

Additional details about the College Savings Pledge, including the Official Rules, can be found at www.CollegeSavingsPledge.com .

The ScholarShare College Savings Plan is California’s state-sponsored 529 college savings plan, and was recently ranked second in the top direct-sold 529 plans for three-year performance by www.SavingForCollege.com .

Since its inception in 1999, ScholarShare has grown to more than 266,000 open accounts with over $6.4 billion in total plan assets.

In 2014, ScholarShare helped California families meet their higher education needs, with nearly $300 million withdrawn by families to pay for qualified higher education expenses.

ScholarShare offers a diverse set of investment options, and provides tax-deferred growth and withdrawals free from state and federal taxes when the funds are used for qualified higher education expenses, such as tuition and fees, books or even certain room and board costs.

Any U.S. citizen, or resident alien with a valid Social Security Number or Taxpayer Identification Number, can open a new account, for as little as $25.

Through ScholarShare’s “Give a Gift” option, parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and friends can open a new account as a gift or make a gift contribution to an existing account. ScholarShare has no annual account maintenance fee, no income limit and offers a high maximum account balance limit.

To learn more about California’s 529 plan, please visit www.ScholarShare.com .