When Rachel Haslem of Macon, Ga. welcomed her new baby girl Madison Haslem this morning at 5:39 a.m., she had no idea that in addition to the 7 pound, 4 ounce bundle of joy, she would also be surprised with a contribution to Madison’s college savings. Madison was the first baby born at The Medical Center, Navicent Health on April 17—Tax Day—and as a result, she was recognized with a $1,529 contribution to her Path2College 529 Plan.   
 
“I was very surprised, very overtaken with joy. I wanted to make sure I heard right. My goal is to make sure she finishes college. My hope is that she finds something that she loves, and she can go to whatever college her little heart desires,” said mother Rachel Haslem.
 
This is the third year that Navicent Health and Path2College have partnered to recognize “Tax Day” babies in an effort to raise awareness about the importance of saving for college and financial planning.  
 
“It is such a pleasure to welcome little Madison to the world by investing in her education. I personally believe that education is vital to an individual’s success. As an organization, Navicent Health participates in numerous initiatives to promotes the education and continued learning of our employees as well as those within the communities we serve. We are pleased to partner with Path2College to navigateMadison towards a path to success,” said Missi Upshaw, Director of Women’s Services, Navicent Health.
 
Additionally, Path2College kicked off its eighth annual Newborn Sweepstakes, which will award one baby born in Georgia this year a $5,529 contribution toward a child’s college savings.  The Path2College 529 Plan will also award $1,529 to the hospital where the Newborn Sweepstakes winner was born.   
 
“New families have a lot of things to think about, and college seems like a distant concern. While it’s never too late to start saving, the earlier you start the better,” said Caylee Noggle, Interim President of the Georgia Student Finance Commission, which partners with the Office of the State Treasurer to administer the Path2College 529 Plan for the state of Georgia. “Saving regularly over time will have the most impact, so reaching families with newborns and letting them know about the state’s Path2College 529 Plan is an important way to help ensure that more Georgia children establish a financial foundation to help them continue their education.”