College Saving Program

Purpose

There are two specific purposes for the Circassian Education Foundation (the “Foundation”) 2024-2025 College Savings Matching Program (the “Program”):

To provide grants for young children for future higher education; and
To encourage families to save for college expenses of their young children.

Description of the Program

The Foundation will provide a one-time matching grant per child up to $1,000 toward qualifying 529 plan college savings accounts (“529 Plan”) opened between January 1, 2024 and December 31, 2024 for Circassian children 13 years old or younger (the “Grants”). Up to $3,000 in aggregate Grants will be awarded each year. The Foundation will provide no greater than one (1) Grant per child in an amount no greater than $1,000.

Eligibility criteria

All applicants must meet the following criteria to be eligible to receive a Grant:

A parent/grandparent/legal guardian must open a 529 Plan in the name of their child at a US financial institution (if needed, the Foundation can provide information to parents/grandparents/legal guardians regarding opening and setting up the appropriate account);
Parents/grandparents/legal guardians must make an initial deposit into their child’s 529 Plan;
Parents/grandparents/legal guardians must commit to monthly automatically recurring deposits of at least $25 per month into their child’s 529 Plan until their child’s eighteenth (18th) birthday;
By January 10, 2024, parents/grandparents/legal guardians must purchase at least one (1) ticket to attend the Foundation’s 2024-2025 Scholarship Awards & Fundraising Awards Gala to be held on January 26, 2024; and
An eligible child must be of Circassian descent, must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, must be 13 years of age or younger, and must not have previously received a Grant from the Foundation.

Any Grant may at any time be denied, revoked, rescinded, withdrawn or reclaimed if, in the Foundation’s sole and absolute discretion, a recipient of such Grant is found to have been ineligible based on any of the foregoing eligibility criteria.

Procedure

Applying parents/grandparents/legal guardians are required to submit the following supporting documents to the Foundation between November 1st and December 31st:

A completed online Grant application form by no later than, December 31st, 2024
Proof of a 529 Plan opened at a US financial institution between January 1, 2024 and December 31, 2024;
Proof of an initial deposit to the 529 Plan; and
Proof of monthly automatically recurring deposits of at least $25 per month into their child’s 529 Plan.

If parents/grandparents/legal guardians have not opened a 529 Plan account, the Foundation can provide information to them regarding how to open and set up the appropriate account. To request assistance with opening an account, please contact Dr. Sameer Stas at sameerstas@hotmail.com.

All documents must be received by the Foundation prior to the December 31st, 2024 deadline, and must be mailed to:

Circassian Education Foundation
P.O. Box 2276
Wayne, NJ 07470

Scholarship Consideration

Each Grant application received between November 1, 2024 and December 31, 2024 will be reviewed by the Foundation on a first-come, first-served basis, with no more than $3,000 in Grants awarded per year. Subject to availability of funds, an eligible child will be awarded a one-time Grant matching the initial deposit to the 529 Plan, or the aggregate amount of all deposits to the 529 Plan made from January 1, 2022 to the date of the Grant application, in an amount up to $1,000. If the initial deposit and/or aggregate deposits are greater than $1,000, the Grant will be $1,000.
For families with more than one child, parents/grandparents/legal guardians may only apply for one child per year.
The Foundation may offer the Program every year, but reserves the right to suspend or cancel, or to amend the terms and conditions of, the Program, at any time and without prior notice.

Timeline

The Grant application form will be available from November 1, 2024 to December 31st, 2024. Applications received after December 31st, 2024 will not be considered.
All supporting documents must be received by December 31st, 2024.
Awardees of the Grants will be notified no later than December 31, 2024.

If you have any questions, please contact the Foundation at:

Secretary@circassianfoundation.org

2024-2025 College Savings Matching Program Application Form

SECTION A Please fill out all fields below, or enter "N/A" if not applicable or not available.

Date of application: 12/21/2024 6:53:54 AM

Child First Name	Child Last Name	DOB	Gender
Father's First Name	Father's Last Name	Mother's First Name	Mother's Last Name
Email		Address

City

State

Zip

Home Phone	Work Phone	Cell Phone	Fax
SECTION B Please fill out all fields below, or enter "N/A" if not applicable or not available.
Have you opened a 529 college savings account at a US financial institution in the name of your child?

Bank Name	Bank Address	Bank Account Number
Have you made an initial deposit to the 529 account between January 1, 2022 and today's date?
Enter the total amount of deposits made to the 529 account between January 1, 2022 and today's date A copy of the deposit slip(s) or other proof of deposit(s) must be mailed to the Circassian Education Foundation, PO Box 2276, Wayne, NJ 07470.
Have you set up an automatically recurring deposit into the 529 account of at least $25 per month?
Proof of an automatically recurring monthly deposit into the 529 account of at least $25 per month must be mailed to the Circassian Education Foundation, PO Box 2276, Wayne, NJ 07470.
I hereby certify to the best of my knowledge that the foregoing information is complete, true and accurate. I hereby indemnify and hold harmless the Circassian Education Foundation (the "CEF") and its affiliates, successors and assigns, officers, directors, employees, representatives and agents ("CEF Parties") from and against any and all losses or damages (including attorneys fees) arising out of or relating to any statements or representations made by me in this application form or otherwise in connection with the Program, including without limitation in any materials I submit in connection with the Program. I agree to immediately return to the CEF, upon demand, the value of any Grant that has been or may be awarded to me if any statement or representation made by me in this application is false or misleading, and I acknowledge and agree that all available legal and equitable remedies may be pursued against me in connection therewith. I further acknowledge and agree with the foregoing Program rules, procedures and eligibility criteria, and hereby release and forever discharge the CEF Parties from any and all claims, liabilities, obligations, promises, agreements, disputes, demands, damages and causes of action of any nature and kind, known or unknown, which I have had, currently have or may in the future have against the CEF or any of the CEF Parties arising out of or relating to the Program.

Signature - Enter your Full Name

Signature Date