Ready, Set, School!

It’s time to get off the beach and back on the bus. Yes, it’s the time of year when school doors swing open and students stream back into their classrooms to meet new teachers, learn new things and, hopefully, get excited about resuming school-day routines.

Many parents and grandparents will be thinking about the future as their kids head off to class, and about how to pay for college down the road. After all, a college education has long been a stepping-stone toward a bright future.

This summer, Gerber Life Insurance offers an opportunity to help you fulfill that dream by entering in a sweepstakes for a Gerber Life College Plan¹. You’ll have a chance to win a Gerber Life College Plan worth $10,000 or even $20,000. Visit contest.gerberlife.com between July 19 and August 29, to complete an entry form. To qualify, entrants must be 18 to 75 years of age and the parent, grandparent or legal guardian of a child who is between one-day-old and 8 years old on the date of entry. Read about the many benefits of the College Plan at www.gerberlife.com.

You may want to enter the Gerber Life College Plan giveaways right away, and then stay in the back-to-school mode by taking our 2013 back-to-school quiz. We’ve gathered some fun facts about schools and students so go ahead and test your knowledge:

1. Never too late. In the movie “Back to School,” featured comic actor Rodney Dangerfield attends college late in life to show his son the value of an education. What university was used as a set for this film?  a) Notre Dame, b) UCLA, c) the University of Hawaii or d) the University of Wisconsin

2. Ready-to-wear. Some public school systems require students to wear uniforms. Proponents say such a dress code diminishes peer pressure and encourages school pride. Which was the first public school district in the U.S. to require uniforms for students?  a) New York City, b) Long Beach, Calif., c) New Haven, Conn., or d) St. Louis

3. Lifetime earnings. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that college graduates earn, on average, more during their lifetimes than workers with only a high school diploma. How much more can a college graduate earn over a worker with only a high school diploma?  a) $1 million, b) $2 million, c) $2.5 million or d) $2.8 million

4. Coast-to-coast. How many students are in the U.S.?   a) 57 million, b) 63 million, c) 79 million or d) 84 million

Answers:
1. d) The University of Wisconsin at Madison was used as a backdrop for “Back to School.” It was called “Grand Lakes University” in the movie.
2. b) Long Beach, Calif. The Long Beach Unified School District made international news in 1994 when it became the first public school district in the U.S. to require that students wear school uniforms in all elementary and middle schools.
3. a) $1 million.  Although a college degree may not be required for all good-paying jobs, candidates without a degree generally need to have extensive training, on the job or in a vocational school.
4. c) 79 million. The U.S. Census Bureau estimated in October 2011 that 79 million children and adults throughout the U.S. were enrolled in school ranging from nursery schools to colleges, and that students represented 26.9 percent of the country’s population aged three and older.

¹Policy Form ICC09-PIE