Growing a
College
Savings
Plan
Takes A
Farmer’s Finesse
W
hen a young John Perdue enrolled in college in the late 1960s, there were
no savings plans designed specifically for higher education. Perdue, who is now
West Virginia’s longest-serving State Treasurer, extracted much of his tuition directly
from the rich earth, which could always be counted on to bless his family.
“My dad would wake me up at five in the morning starting when I was maybe 12, 13 years
old,” Perdue recalled. “We’d start working in the gardens. I can appreciate it now. It made me
tougher, mentally and physically.”
When elected State Treasurer in 1996, Perdue reflected on his formative years and how he
and his family struggled to finance his college education. Perhaps if folks could put aside
22 West Virginia Farm Bureau News