INVEST IN GIFT OF COLLEGE TODAY!
Let's end student loan debt
$92,358.22 Raised
REASONS TO INVEST
We’ve already helped eliminate $15 million in student loan debt and boosted college savings account balances by $10 million
43 million Americans have student loan debt, 60M children lack a 529 account, and tens of millions of potential gift givers have loved ones in these situations
Gift of College is a profitable company supported by a passionate team with years of experience helping families prepare for the cost of higher education
ABOUT
HEADQUARTERS
24005 Ventura Boulevard
Calabasas, CA 91302
WEBSITE
View Site
Nearly every American is touched by the high cost of higher education and crushing weight of student loan debt that results from not planning ahead for these costs. The Gift of College crowdfunding platform streamlines the process for friends, family, and employers to conveniently make contributions toward 529 college savings and student loan accounts to break the devastating cycle of multi-generational educational debt. By connecting gift-givers and receivers through a suite of carefully designed solutions, including gift cards (online and retail), and through an at-work solution, the burden can be eased for millions of Americans.
TEAM
Wayne Weber
CEO
Wayne has been a higher education savings advocate at the forefront of providing simple and streamlined solutions for families and employers to help save and pay for college and eliminate the unbearable burden of student loan debt. In 2008, he developed GiftofCollege.com – a leading crowdfunding platform aimed at eradicating student debt and helping Americans save for higher education. Its suite of products includes Gift of College Gift Cards (available online and at over 3000 retailer locations including select Target, Save Mart, Lucky, and H-E-B stores) and Gift of College At-Work, an employee benefit program offering payroll deduction and employer match technology.
To learn more about the Gift of College platform or student loan repayment/college savings as an employee benefit, contact: wayne@giftofcollege.com
Patricia Roberts
COO
Patricia is also a motivational speaker and writer and holds a B.A. in Philosophy and Political Science from Duquesne University and a J.D. from Brooklyn Law School.
Dr. Kristine Sickels
CMO
Throughout her marketing career, Kristine has led the marketing strategy for an impressive portfolio of global consumer brands such as Rubbermaid, Crockpot, Mr. Coffee, Oster, Calphalon, and more. She is an advocate for innovation and communication approaches grounded in consumer insights.
Kristine is the CEO and Founder of a marketing consulting agency where she brings executive level thinking and partnership to small & medium sized businesses. Operating as a virtual CMO, she works with brands such as Kimball International, Jess Ekstrom, Nexus Project, to help them grow their businesses with great marketing. She focuses on organizational and personal branding, strategy, innovation along with coaching & mentorship.
Kristine is also the Co-Founder, Director, Corporate Secretary & Chief Marketing Officer of Gift of College Inc. College loan debt has become the number one form of consumer debt in the US. Gift of College helps students and families save for college tuition, taking away the stress and worry of college loan debt.
Kristine holds a Bachelor of Science in Marketing from Indiana University; a Master of Business Administration from the University of Michigan’s prestigious Ross School of business; and a Doctor of Business Administration from Georgia State University.
Rob Creaser
CCO
For the past two years Rob has been with StartEngine Primary LLC, a registered broker-dealer and FINRA/SIPC member. He currently is the Chief Compliance Officer of StartEngine Primary LLC. Regulation Crowdfunding (Reg CF) is a separately regulated business and is not part of StartEngine Primary LLC’s operations. StartEngine Primary LLC is a wholly owned subsidiary of StartEngine Crowdfunding Inc., which is also the parent company of StartEngine Capital LLC, the funding portal conducting this Regulation Crowdfunding Offering. StartEngine Primary LLC and StartEngine Capital LLC are sister companies. This role is Rob's primary job.
Rob received his Bachelors of Science degree in Business Administration, Real Estate and Finance from California State University, Northridge. He currently holds eight securities industry licenses.
Brian Pautsch
CTO
Christine Keyser
Director of Operations
In addition to key operational roles, she held roles in program planning and management, staff and volunteer management, and training. Christine holds a B.S. in Family & Child Studies from Northern Illinois University.
Nadine Perry
Director of Marketing
Jaime Casap
Strategic Advisor
In addition to his role at Google, Jaime is also an author and serves on a number of boards for organizations focused on education, innovation, and equity. Jaime teaches a 10th-grade communication class at the Phoenix Coding Academy in Phoenix and is an adjunct professor at Arizona State University, where he teaches classes on policy, innovation, and leadership.
TERMS
Gift of College
Overview
PRICE PER SHARE
$5
DEADLINE
Apr 15, 2021
VALUATION
$24M
FUNDING GOAL
$10k - $1.07M
Breakdown
MIN INVESTMENT
$250
MAX INVESTMENT
$107,000
MIN NUMBER OF SHARES OFFERED
2,000
MAX NUMBER OF SHARES OFFERED
214,000
OFFERING TYPE
Equity
ASSET TYPE
Common Stock
SHARES OFFERED
Class A Common Voting
Maximum Number of Shares Offered subject to adjustment for bonus shares
Voting Rights of Securities Sold in this Offering
Voting Proxy. Each Subscriber shall appoint the Chief Executive Officer of the Company (the “CEO”), or his or her successor, as the Subscriber’s true and lawful proxy and attorney, with the power to act alone and with full power of substitution, to, consistent with this instrument and on behalf of the Subscriber, (i) vote all Securities, (ii) give and receive notices and communications, (iii) execute any instrument or document that the CEO determines is necessary or appropriate in the exercise of its authority under this instrument, and (iv) take all actions necessary or appropriate in the judgment of the CEO for the accomplishment of the foregoing. The proxy and power granted by the Subscriber pursuant to this Section are coupled with an interest. Such proxy and power will be irrevocable. The proxy and power, so long as the Subscriber is an individual, will survive the death, incompetency and disability of the Subscriber and, so long as the Subscriber is an entity, will survive the merger or reorganization of the Subscriber or any other entity holding the Securities. However, the Proxy will terminate upon the closing of a firm-commitment underwritten public offering pursuant to an effective registration statement under the Securities Act of 1933 covering the offer and sale of Common Stock or the effectiveness of a registration statement under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 covering the Common Stock.
*Maximum Number of Shares Offered subject to adjustment for bonus shares. See Bonus info below.
Investment Incentives and Bonuses*
Time-Based:
Friends and Family Early Birds
Invest within the first 48 hours and receive an additional 15% bonus shares.
Super Early Bird Bonus
Invest in the first 7 days and receive an additional 10% bonus shares.
Early Bird Bonus
Invest in the first 14 days and receive an additional 5% bonus shares.
Amount-Based:
$500 | Tier 1
Invest $500 and receive a $25 Gift of College Gift Card.
$1,000 | Tier 2
Invest $1,000 and receive a $75 Gift of College Gift Card.
$2,500 | Tier 3
Invest $2,500 and receive a $100 Gift of College Gift Card.
$5,000 | Tier 4
Invest $5,000 and receive a $100 Gift of College Gift Card and 5% bonus shares.
$10,000 | Tier 5
Invest $10,000 and receive a $100 Gift of College Gift Card and 10% bonus shares.
*All perks occur when the offering is completed.
The 10% Bonus for StartEngine Shareholders
Gift of College, Inc. will offer 10% additional bonus shares for all investments that are committed by investors that are eligible for the StartEngine Crowdfunding Inc. OWNer's bonus.
This means eligible StartEngine shareholders will receive a 10% bonus for any shares they purchase in this offering. For example, if you buy 100 shares of Class A Common Stock at $5.00 / share, you will receive 110 shares of Class A Common Stock, meaning you'll own 110 shares for $500. Fractional shares will not be distributed and share bonuses will be determined by rounding down to the nearest whole share.
This 10% Bonus is only valid during the investors eligibility period. Investors eligible for this bonus will also have priority if they are on a waitlist to invest and the company surpasses its maximum funding goal. They will have the first opportunity to invest should room in the offering become available if prior investments are cancelled or fail.
Investors will only receive a single bonus, which will be the highest bonus rate they are eligible for.
Irregular Use of Proceeds
We will not incur any irregular use of proceeds.
PRESS
ALL UPDATES
04.03.21
Notice of Funds Disbursement
[The following is an automated notice from the StartEngine team].
Hello!
As you might know, Gift of College has exceeded its minimum funding goal. When a company reaches its minimum on StartEngine, it's about to begin withdrawing funds. If you invested in Gift of College be on the lookout for an email that describes more about the disbursement process.
This campaign will continue to accept investments until its indicated closing date.
Thanks for funding the future.
-StartEngine
12.29.20
GiftCards.com shouts out Gift of College as a unique gift card to give this holiday season
GiftCards.com shares its 2020 round-up of anything-but-ordinary gift cards—and our Gift of College card made the list!
12.11.20
Gift of College CEO featured in Medium - Authority Magazine
5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Became CEO
Get a behind-the-scenes look at Gift of College and CEO Wayne Weber's vision for a debt-free future in Authority Magazine.
12.08.20
Gift of College selected for ADP Health and Wealth Bundle
Gift of College is excited to have been selected to be part of the Health and Wealth bundle from ADP Marketplace, providing a new way for employers to engage their workforce. And in our initial launch we added over a dozen new companies to our growing list of clients.
Learn more at adp.com/TakeCareofYourpeople
ADP Marketplace is a digital HR storefront that allows clients to create a highly customized, fully integrated HR ecosystem, with ADP® and third-party solutions. With hundreds of HR apps available, ADP Marketplace is the first and largest digital storefront for HR buyers today.
12.03.20
Gift of College Featured in Forbes again this Holiday Season
"Studies and trends have found that younger generations value experiences over material possessions. Kids don’t need fancy gifts; they need something that means something and adds real value to their lives." Proud to be featured in this excellent article from Forbes!
Forbes Press: Why You Should Give the Gift of College This Holiday Season
12.01.20
Press Release: Online 529 Education Gifting Programs Fulfill Families’ Ecommerce Needs for the Holidays
This holiday season 529 Education Gifting Programs like GiftofCollege.com are meeting the needs of families and friends looking to ecommerce channels for holiday gifts from the comfort of their homes. Having grown in availability and popularity over the last several years, online gifting tools, crowdfunding platforms, and e-gift cards make higher education savings as convenient as online shopping for material gifts, according to members of the *College Savings Foundation.
We are proud to be featured by the College Savings Foundation:
*The College Savings Foundation (CSF) is a Washington, D.C.- based not-for-profit organization helping American families achieve their education savings goals.
11.25.20
Partner Spotlight: Innovetive Petcare
Innovetive Petcare, a veterinary management company of 21 animal practices across six states gives its employees a sense of security towards their education. Launching last March, every new mother and father employed by Innovetive Petcare receives a Gift of College gift card with an initial contribution to start their own 529 college savings plan.
“Innovetive Petcare wanted to partner with Gift of College to blaze the trail for other employers in the veterinary industry and create a movement to alleviate the student loan epidemic and lessen the emotional, professional, and financial stressors faced by veterinarians,” said Malia Rivera, Vice President of Innovetive Petcare. “By partnering with Gift of College, Innovetive Petcare employees can create automatic payroll deductions, they can easily pay down their student loans and contribute to their 529 college savings account.”
11.24.20
Notice of Material Change in Offering
[The following is an automated notice from the StartEngine team].
Hello! Recently, a change was made to the Gift of College offering. Here's an excerpt describing the specifics of the change:
Gift of College removed Dan Schatt as board member
When live offerings undergo changes like these on StartEngine, the SEC requires that certain investments be reconfirmed. If your investment requires reconfirmation, you will be contacted by StartEngine via email with further instructions.
11.18.20
Buy Gift Cards AND Pay Down Your Student Loans
Have you explored our new app, Cashback for College?
Shop with Cashback for College and receive cashback to save or pay for college when you purchase gift cards at popular merchants like Walmart, CVS, Home Depot, Bed Bath & Beyond, Sephora, Foot Locker, and many more.
Earnings can be directed into any 529 college savings plan, student loan or 529 ABLE account via GiftofCollege.com.
“Our mission is to help families take control of their financial futures by making it easy to contribute to a college savings plan account or pay down student debt,” said Wayne Weber, CEO and founder, Gift of College. “Finding small and simple savings solutions that are already a part of everyday life can add up in a big way. When it comes to saving for college, every dollar counts.”
Available for both iOS and Android.
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/cashback-for-college/id1474130975
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.riseapps.cardcash.giftofcollege&hl=en_US
11.12.20
Gift of College Helps Families Just Like the Limas
Gift of College believes everyone deserves an education and a future without student loan debt and that families don’t need to go it alone. Since 2008 Gift of College has helped thousands of individuals just like you save millions for advanced education and pay down their student loan debt faster. We are inspired by stories of how Gift of College has helped individuals and families plan for a better future.
MEET THE LIMAS --- a family of 5 who started using Gift of College in 2014 when their first two children were little. They’ve consistently received contributions from their family as gifts for holidays and other special occasions. When planning birthday and other celebrations, they always remember to include the shareable GiftofCollege.com profile link in invitations. Every year the kids receive almost $500 college savings contributions each from friends and extended family.
Gift of College is honored to help families just like the Limas, but they aren’t the only ones. Each one of you has a story of determination to create a future without student loan debt. It’s inspiring.
Hear what the Limas have to say about Gift of College:
Thank you for reviewing our company and for your questions.
REWARDS
JOIN THE DISCUSSION
0/2500
Wesley Jackson
13 INVESTMENTS
2 years ago
When do you plan to send out the gifts for investors?
1
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Bryan Edwards
2 INVESTMENTS
2 years ago
Admittedly I am concerned or if not simply confused. This seems to be a forward looking product to solve a future issue instead of primary payback of the said $1.6T US. Not bad, but existing debt is a primary concern and re-programming of future intent secondary. Aside, are the gift cards tax deductible for the purchaser or does whomever redeems to their account gain the tax benefit?
1
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Michael Williams
12 INVESTMENTS
2 years ago
Do the gift cards accrue interest?
1
0
Dana Carstensen
12 INVESTMENTS
2 years ago
Yes there's an incredible amount of student loan debt but from what I've read 529 plans designed for money to be saved and spent on qualified expenses such as tuition and books as one moves along in education to avoid the collection of debt. I cannot find anything that says that money in a 529 plan can be spent making monthly payments to a loan servicers contracted by the U.S. Department of Education. If money in a 529 plan can't be used to make payments to loan servicers then I don't see how it's a solution to the $1.6 trillion bucket of debt.
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Kelly Washington
2 years ago
Where are you with making your giftcards available at more locations? You used to be in Barnes in Noble but no longer. Are there any plans to get into a location like Kroger and their other brand stores? Office supply stores, schoool supply stores or even college campus stores? There just aren't any options for your $500 giftcards where I live and sometimes I want to make a bigger purchase on one card versus having to buy multilpes that are only $50 or $100 each.
1
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Kelly Washington
2 years ago
Are your giftcards offered through any credit card company reward programs? Also, when does your CF campaign end?
1
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Steven Leinard
2 years ago
Thank you for answering my questions. I invested today. Sorry but I cannot tell you my employer, non disclosures etc forbid me from discussing them publically but you should have my information now if you would like to e-mail me. There is a huge untapped market for this and I believe you will do well. I am new to crowdfunding so my investment was small (hundreds). However, if there is an avenue to learn more about the company and how investors may eventually see a return, more details on your long term plan, I would be open to investing more (10's of thousands) but I'm generally a mutual fund guy. I need to see it to believe it 🙂
1
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Steven Leinard
2 years ago
I love it and wish my employer would participate. But do the major 401k companies like Fidelity, Vanguard etc offer similar services for 529 employer plans? If so, it seems like it would be alot easier and probably more cost effective for the company to go with whoever is already handling their employee's 401k's and that would keep everything in one place to simplify for their employees as well. If say Fidelity can do the same thing, why use Gift of College instead?
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Kelly Washington
3 years ago
On your time line it mentions a partnership with Discover. Can you give details on that partnership and how the program works?
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HOW INVESTING WORKS
Cancel anytime before 48 hours before a rolling close or the offering end date.
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With Regulation A+, a non-accredited investor can only invest a maximum of 10% of their annual income or 10% of their net worth per year, whichever is greater. There are no restrictions for accredited investors.
With Regulation Crowdfunding, non-accredited investors with an annual income or net worth less than $124,000, are limited to invest a maximum of 5% of the greater of those two amounts. For those with an annual income and net worth greater than $124,000, he/she is limited to investing 10% of the greater of the two amounts.
At the close of an offering, all investors whose funds have “cleared” by this time will be included in the disbursement. At this time, each investor will receive an email from StartEngine with their Countersigned Subscription Agreement, which will serve as their proof of purchase moving forward.
Please keep in mind that a company can conduct a series of “closes” or withdrawals of funds throughout the duration of the campaign. If you are included in that withdrawal period, you will be emailed your countersigned subscription agreement and proof of purchase immediately following that withdrawal.
StartEngine assists companies in raising capital, and once the offering is closed, we are no longer involved with whether the company chooses to list shares on a secondary market, or what occurs thereafter. Therefore, StartEngine has no control or insight into your investment after the close of the live offering. In addition, we are not permitted to provide financial advice. You may want to contact a financial professional to discuss possible investment outcomes.
For Regulation Crowdfunding, investors are able to cancel their investment at any point throughout the campaign up until 48 hours before the closing of the offering. Note: If the company does a rolling close, they will post an update to their current investors, giving them the opportunity to cancel during this timeframe. If you do not cancel within this 5-day timeframe, your funds will be invested in the company, and you will no longer be able to cancel the investment. If your funds show as ‘Invested’ on your account dashboard, your investment can no longer be canceled.
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Once your investment is canceled, there is a 10-day clearing period (from the date your investment was submitted). After your funds have cleared the bank, you will receive your refund within 10 business days.
Refunds that are made through ACH payments can take up to 10 business days to clear. Unfortunately, we are at the mercy of the bank, but we will do everything we can to get you your refund as soon as possible. However, every investment needs to go through the clearing process in order to get sent back to the account associated with the investment.
Both Title III (Regulation Crowdfunding) and Title IV (Reg A+) help entrepreneurs crowdfund capital investments from unaccredited and accredited investors. The differences between these regulations are related to the investor limitations, the differing amounts of money companies are permitted to raise, and differing disclosure and filing requirements. To learn more about Regulation Crowdfunding, click here, and for Regulation A+, click here.
Hitesh Gupta
6 INVESTMENTS
4 months ago
0
0