To all the moms and dads of our youngest Sunshine State residents; did you know the Florida Prepaid College Program’s open enrollment is going on now? If not, you’re not alone.

Contrary to its usual yearly start date, held every October, the Florida Prepaid College Board decided on February 1st as their new date in order to give more families better availability to plan out their children’s academic futures. According to the Board, the change allows time for families to set in motion their new financial plans for the year ahead and to consider financial guidance as tax season may further boost interest with the available payment options prepaid plans offer.

This shift is a considerable one, as it aims to undercut the inevitably high expenses most parents find themselves preoccupied with late in the year. Every year, the holiday season places such financial demand on families, so it's easy to prioritize long-term commitments, such as prepaid college plans further out of sight, and mind.

“Open enrollment has typically coincided with the holiday season – a time that can be chaotic and expensive for families. We wanted to give parents time to recover from that season and focus on college savings when they are traditionally turning their attention to financial goals at the beginning of the year,” Shannon Colavecchio, Florida Prepaid spokesperson told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. “Spring is also a time of tax returns, bonuses, and pay raise. That money can be used toward a prepaid plan, making it that much easier to get started.”

With the new open enrollment schedule set through April 30th, it now never too early to begin planning for your children’s future. In fact, with price points remaining the same as last year, parents of newborns can lock in monthly payments anywhere from $47 to $187, depending on the plan selected. And as a bonus incentive announced through its press release highlighting the time change, the Board stated it will waive the $50 enrollment fee on all prepaid plans purchased before March 1st.

Above all, prepaid plans have increased in popularity over the years, and with that, higher enrollment numbers, especially during prolonged periods of economic growth have aided in the success of the program. With its direct focused on affordable education, the program has been an influential means of offering Florida parents affordable saving options for their children’s college education. Since their inception in 1987, nearly 2 million Florida Prepaid College plans have been sold across the state.