Can you beat the SC Tuition Prepayment Program?

Thomas L. Fitzkee

Francis Marion University
Florence, SC 29501
USA
Phone: (843) 661-1572
Fax: (843) 661-4616
tfitzkee@fmarion.edu

list of all papers by this author

Click to access this paper: paper.pdf

ABSTRACT

The Interdisciplinary Lively Application (ILAP), entitled 'Can you beat the SC Tuition Prepayment Program?, combines mathematics with economics by studying the newly created South Carolina Tuition Prepayment Program (SCTPP). The SCTPP offers different options for prepayment, namely lump sum, payment for four years, and payments until college enrollment.

The ILAP compares these options and tries to beat each option using other college tuition investment options, such as bonds, certificates of deposit, and money market accounts. Of course, different investments have different levels of risk. Variables, such as inflation and interest rates, are key factors for investments and are researched on the internet for each project assignment.

Keyword(s): precalculus