Florida Prepaid open enrollment underway to help Florida families save on college
Spokesperson Shannon Smith joins WESH 2 to explain the new features, offers and flexible plans helping to make saving for higher education affordable and achievable for all Florida families
THE COST OF GETTING A HIGHER EDUCATION CONTINUES TO GO UP. SMALL INVESTMENTS CAN HELP FAMILIES MAKE SOME BIG STEPS TOWARDS COLLEGE SAVINGS. NOW. FLORIDA PREPAID OPEN ENROLLMENT IS NOW OPEN WITH A SIMPLIFIED, MORE FLEXIBLE PATH TO SUCCESS. JOINING ME NOW HERE TO EXPLAIN EVERYTHING ABOUT THE PROCESS IS FLORIDA PREPAID SPOKESPERSON SHANNON SMITH. SHANNON WELCOME, WELCOME. GOOD MORNING. GOOD MORNING TO YOU AS WELL. THIS IS SUCH AN IMPORTANT TOPIC BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE, YOU KNOW, I’VE GOT SIBLINGS AND ALL OF THEIR KIDS ARE IN COLLEGE. AND IT’S LIKE, OH MY GOODNESS, JUST GET READY FOR COLLEGE AND THE PAYMENTS. YES OKAY. SO LET’S TALK ABOUT THIS. SO MANY FAMILIES OUT THERE KIND OF FEEL PRICED OUT OF HIGHER EDUCATION. TAKE US THROUGH FLORIDA PREPAID AND HOW YOU GUYS ARE REALLY HELPING FAMILIES KIND OF TAKE CONTROL OF THE COST OF COLLEGE. SURE. SO THE WAY THE FLORIDA PREPAID PLANS WORK IS THAT IT ALLOWS YOU TO LOCK IN TODAY’S PRICES TO COVER FUTURE TUITION AND HOUSING. SO I LIKE TO JUST SAY THAT BASICALLY IT MAKES YOU INFLATION PROOF, RIGHT? WHEN YOU LOCK IN THE PRICES THIS YEAR, THEY START AT $29 A MONTH. YOUR PAYMENT IN THAT MONTHLY PAYMENT WOULD BE THAT THAT UNTIL IT’S TIME FOR THEM TO GO TO COLLEGE. AND THE BEST THING IS THAT IF TUITION HAS SKYROCKETED, YOU ARE PROTECTED FROM THAT BECAUSE YOU HAVE LOCKED IN THE PRICES THIS YEAR. AND I FEEL LIKE TUITION IS SKYROCKETING. WHEN YOU HEAR THE COST OF SCHOOLS, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES WHEN YOU’RE TALKING ABOUT PRIVATE SCHOOLS AS WELL, IT’S JUST IT’S BIG NUMBERS. YES. AND SAME WITH HOUSING. WE KNOW HOUSING IS GOING UP A LOT. OKAY. SO SO TAPPING ON THAT. THERE’S A NEW ONE YEAR TUITION AND DORMITORY PLAN. SO TALKING OF HOUSING HOW DOES THAT WORK. RIGHT. SO WE USED TO HAVE A FIVE PLAN STRUCTURE. AND WE WANTED TO SIMPLIFY IT. RIGHT. AND SO WE BASICALLY HAVE ONE PREPAID PLAN AND A ONE YEAR DORM PLAN. AND YOU CAN STACK THOSE AS YOU WANT OR AS YOUR BUDGET ALLOWS. SO YOU COULD START WITH JUST ONE YEAR OF TUITION COVERAGE, 30 CREDIT HOURS. AND YOU COULD START WITH ONE YEAR OF DORM. AND THEN AS YOU ARE ABLE TO, YOU COULD STACK MORE. YOU COULD ALSO HAVE FAMILY MEMBERS CONTRIBUTE, RIGHT? SO MULTIPLE FAMILY MEMBERS, EACH CONTRIBUTING TOWARD THE SAME CHILD. SO IT GIVES YOU A LOT OF FLEXIBILITY. AND I THINK IT MAKES IT FEEL AND IT REALLY IS MORE AFFORDABLE FOR FAMILIES OKAY. AND WHAT DO THEY NEED FOR CHRISTMAS OR BIRTHDAY. WELL HEY, WHY DON’T YOU JUST CONTRIBUTE TO THIS? ABSOLUTELY. YES. THAT’S GOOD. SHANNON, THIS IS A QUESTION I FEEL LIKE YOU PROBABLY GET A LOT. SO IF YOU’RE SAVING FOR COLLEGE, YOU’RE THINKING YOUR KID’S GOING TO GO HERE IN FLORIDA, BUT THEY DECIDE, YOU KNOW WHAT, I’M GOING TO END UP GOING OUT OF STATE. WHAT DO YOU DO THEN WITH ALL THE FUNDS YOU’VE BEEN SAVING? AND ALSO, WHAT IF THEY GET LIKE A FULL SCHOLARSHIP? YES. THIS HAPPENS MANY SCENARIOS. SO IF YOU GO OUT OF STATE OR EVEN IF YOU GO TO A PRIVATE COLLEGE IN OR OUT OF STATE, THE VALUE OF YOUR PREPAID PLAN WILL GO WITH YOU. NOW, IF YOU ARE HERE IN FLORIDA AND INSTEAD OF GOING TO SAY UCF, YOU DECIDE TO GO TO GEORGIA, YOU’RE GOING TO BE CHARGED OUT OF STATE TUITION IN GEORGIA. SO WE WOULD PAY TO GEORGIA WHAT WE WOULD HAVE PAID TO UCF AS AN EXAMPLE. SO IT MEANS THERE’S PROBABLY GOING TO BE A GAP. BUT THE VALUE OF YOUR PLAN STAYS INTACT. SO YOU’RE STILL GOING TO GET SOME OF THE FUNDING. IT JUST MIGHT NOT BE. YOU GET ALL THE FUNDING IN THAT VALUE, BUT IT JUST OUT OF STATE TUITION TENDS TO BE MORE. BUT I ALSO REMIND FAMILIES THAT TYPICALLY A STUDENT MIGHT BE LURED OUT OF STATE BECAUSE OF A SCHOLARSHIP. RIGHT. SO IN THAT CASE, WE GET A LOT OF STUDENTS HERE IN FLORIDA HAVE BRIGHT FUTURES AND FLORIDA PREPAID. SO WHAT HAPPENS IS ONE OF THOSE WILL PAY OUT FIRST, AND THEN YOU’RE GOING TO GET A CHECK EVERY SEMESTER FOR THE FLORIDA PREPAID. THAT DIDN’T HAVE TO BE USED. RIGHT. AND SO A LOT OF FAMILIES THEN USE THAT FOR THINGS LIKE BOOKS, HOUSING, IF THEY DON’T HAVE A DORM PLAN, MEAL PLANS AND ALL THE OTHER THINGS. SO IT GIVES YOU SOME FLEXIBILITY FOR SURE. I FEEL LIKE THE BIG THING ABOUT IT, JUST FOR FAMILIES THAT ARE OVERWHELMED BY ALL OF THIS, WHAT IS THEIR BEST OPTION TO KIND OF NAVIGATE AND GO THROUGH THESE Q AND A’S? YES. YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A SIMPLIFIED WEBSITE ALSO. WE LAUNCHED THAT THIS YEAR AND THERE’S A PLAN BUILDER TOOL ON THE AGE OF YOUR CHILD, THEN PUT IN WHAT IS YOUR BUDGET. RIGHT. DO YOU WANT TO SPEND 50 OR LESS A MONTH? IS THAT WHAT YOU CAN AFFORD? OR MAYBE IT’S 150 OR LESS A MONTH. IT WILL WALK YOU THROUGH. WHAT ARE YOUR OPTIONS UNDER THAT BUDGET SCENARIO AND ALSO YOUR AVERSION OR ABILITY TO HAVE RISK, RIGHT. DO YOU JUST WANT THE SAME MONTHLY PAYMENT GUARANTEED? NO RISK? OR DO YOU ARE YOU WILLING TO PUT A LITTLE BIT INTO A 5 TO 9 INVESTMENT PLAN? RIGHT. SO WE HAVE BOTH. AND SO IT WILL THEN GIVE YOU A SAVINGS SCENARIO THAT SAYS WITH THIS BUDGET, HERE’S WHAT YOU COULD DO FOR YOUR CHILD. SO WE REALLY TRY TO MAKE IT VERY FLEXIBLE AND USER FRIENDLY. SHANNON, WHAT’S YOUR ADVICE HERE AS WE’RE KIND OF CLOSING OUT HERE ABOUT 30S LEFT FOR PARENTS WATCHING THIS, WHAT’S YOUR ADVICE FOR THEM TO START TODAY? TOMORROW, IF THEY HAVE ANY OF THESE BIG QUESTIONS OR JUST SOMETHING THAT THEY NEED TO DO TO GET IT GOING? YES. I MEAN, JUST GO TO MY FLORIDA PREPAID.COM. THE WEBSITE IS VERY USER FRIENDLY. IT REALLY BREAKS DOWN THE DIFFERENT, YOU KNOW, THE 5 TO 9 INVESTMENT AND THE THE PREPAID 5 TO 9 AND REALLY JUST SHOWS THEM ALL THE DIFFERENT OPTIONS. AND I THINK IF YOU ARE AFRAID TO GET STARTED OR YOU’RE THINKING, OH, I CAN ONLY AFFORD ONE YEAR, THAT’S ONE YEAR THAT THEY’RE NOT BORROWING FOR. AND WE JUST ENCOURAGE FAMILIES START SOMEWHERE, RIGHT. SO THAT IT’S SOMETHING THAT THEY HAVE. YOU CAN ALWAYS ADD ON MORE OVER TIME. OKAY. GREAT ADVICE SHANNON. THANKS SO MUCH FOR COMING IN AND ANSWERING THOSE QUESTIONS, BECAUSE I’VE OFTEN WONDERED, LIKE, WHAT IF THE KID GETS A FULL RIDE? WHAT HAPPENS TO THOSE FUNDS? YOU KNOW, OKAY, SO VERY INTERESTING, SHANNON. THANK YOU. AND YOU C
Florida Prepaid open enrollment underway to help Florida families save on college
Spokesperson Shannon Smith joins WESH 2 to explain the new features, offers and flexible plans helping to make saving for higher education affordable and achievable for all Florida families
Updated: 10:25 AM EST Feb 3, 2026
Florida Prepaid open enrollment opens Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026. To learn more or start building your plan, visit MyFloridaPrepaid.com.
ORLANDO, Fla. —
Florida Prepaid open enrollment opens Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026.
To learn more or start building your plan, visit MyFloridaPrepaid.com.