The first scholarship certificate was hand-delivered to Barrett at the high school in Cordell.
OKLAHOMA CITY (April 30, 2025) – Oklahoma State Treasurer Todd Russ today announced a statewide initiative to deliver more than 1,000 scholarship certificates to students who were part of the SEED for Oklahoma Kids (SEED OK) program, a research-based college savings initiative launched in 2007. The scholarship funds, held in Oklahoma 529 accounts, are now available to help cover education or training beyond high school.
As part of the outreach, personalized scholarship certificates were delivered to high schools on record with the Oklahoma State Department of Education. These certificates are for students born in 2007 who were randomly selected for the SEED OK program.
We are asking every high school principal to hand out these certificates during graduation events or ceremonies to more than 250 schools across the state. For participants who have moved out of Oklahoma, the office will send certificates to the address on file from the original records. Knowing these addresses may be outdated after more than 18 years, we have published a list of parent names—those who originally enrolled in the SEED OK program in 2007—to help families identify eligible students. View the list at oklahoma.gov/treasurer/seed-for-oklahoma-kids.html.
To kick off the effort, the first scholarship certificate was hand-delivered to Barrett at the high school in Cordell, State Treasurer Todd Russ’ hometown.
“There are no applications, no essays, and no income requirements—just dollars ready to help students,” said Treasurer Russ. “This is about reminding students and their families that their future was invested in from the very beginning. The funds are real, they’ve grown over time, and now it’s time to put them to use. This isn’t just a scholarship—it’s a promise fulfilled.”
For more information about SEED OK or to check eligibility, visit oklahoma.gov/treasurer/seed-for-oklahoma-kids.html.
About SEED OK
Launched in 2007, the SEED for Oklahoma Kids (SEED OK) program is a statewide education savings initiative conducted in partnership with Washington University in St. Louis. The program was designed to give children from a wide range of backgrounds a financial foundation for education or training after high school by automatically opening and funding Oklahoma 529 accounts. Selected families received $1,000 deposited into an Oklahoma 529 College Savings Plan on behalf of their child. SEED OK also serves as a long-term research study to understand how early investments in college savings influence children’s academic outcomes, educational aspirations, and family saving behavior over time.
Get Local News!
