McRae: 2025 College & Career Savings Art Contest
By Treasurer David McRae
“The arts and humanities teach us who we are and what we can be.” – President Ronald Reagan
Every year, our team asks Mississippi students to imagine what they could be and then articulate that vision in a piece of art – and every year, I am amazed by the ambition, the drive, and the hope.
This year’s College and Career Savings Art Contest is open, and we will be accepting applications until Feb. 28. Whether a child in your life is homeschooled, enrolled in public school, or attending a private institution, the contest is open to all PreK through Grade 12 students.
Participating students will be competing for a total of $8,000 in Mississippi Affordable College Savings (MACS) scholarships, with the first-place, second, and third-place winners in each age group receiving a $1,000, $500, and $250 MACS scholarship, respectively.
Additionally, the teacher who gets the highest number of students to participate will receive a $1,000 MACS scholarship, which can be used to continue their education, put towards classroom/school supplies, and more (yes, teachers can have a tax-advantaged MACS account too).
To enter, students need to submit an original piece of artwork based on the theme, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” In addition, students must incorporate College and Career Savings somewhere in their piece.
Students in PreK through Grade 2 should submit their artwork on an official entry form (find at treasury.ms.gov/artcontest), while those in Grades 3 through 12 can submit an original piece of 8.5×11 artwork using the medium of their choice.
As President Reagan understood, the arts can teach us who we are and what we can be by challenging us to imagine something beyond our four walls. On paper, we can be anything one can dream of, and once on paper, those dreams can plant the seed of possibility and a plan can take root. Good luck to all those competing this year.
Full contest rules, online submission options, and more can be found at treasury.ms.gov/artcontest.
Mississippi Treasurer David McRae is the 55th Treasurer for the State of Mississippi. In this role, he helps manage the state’s cash flow, oversees College Savings Mississippi, and has returned more than $100 million in unclaimed money to Mississippians. For more information, visit Treasury.MS.gov
