Fairbanks one-year-old, Boon Branson, wins $25,000 scholarship account

Boon Branson of Fairbanks was the lucky winner of this year’s Alaska 529 $25,000 scholarship account giveaway. Boon celebrated his first birthday on September 28 and was awarded the scholarship the next day at a small gathering of family, Alaska 529 representatives, and Dash, the Alaska 529 mascot, at the Fairbanks Children’s Museum. Boon’s parents were pleasantly surprised to learn of the scholarship award.

“I did not know there was a drawing, so I was pretty surprised,” said Megan Branson, Boon’s mother. “I had never looked into 529 accounts before. I saw the box and I was planning to save for college anyway. I thought if some of his money was set aside specifically for college, it would be more likely he would go.”

Boon will be able to use the scholarship funds at any eligible college, university, vocational, or technical school, in or out of Alaska.

Alaska 529 has awarded the scholarship annually for the last 11 years, with the goal of encouraging Alaska families to save their PFDs for higher education expenses. Anyone who invests half of a PFD in an Alaska 529 account is entered in the scholarship giveaway. Boon is the youngest recipient of the scholarship, and his young age means that his account has a long time frame for potential growth, increasing his options when it comes time to choose his path.