Old Dominion Hosts Symposium for Parents, Prospective Students About Better Affording the Cost of College

November 05, 2015

Mary G. Morris

Old Dominion University will host a free seminar Saturday, Nov. 7 for parents and prospective students about how to manage the financial burden of a child attending college.

Mary G. Morris, CEO of the Virginia529 College Savings Plan will deliver the keynote speech at the 8:30 a.m. to noon event, hosted in the Big Blue Room of the Ted Constant Convocation Center.

"Preparing for college: Easing the burden" also features sessions on getting a head start on college; financial aid applications; student loan repayment; understanding GI Bill benefits; and the Virginia529 program. Attendees may choose three sessions.

"College or university is expensive, but there are strategies to help any qualified student with the cost of college, regardless of their income, age or whether they are military or a civilian," said Bruce Rubin, associate professor of finance and organizer of the symposium.

The sessions also include roundtable-style discussions on each of the topic. Registration is encouraged. For more information about the event, contact Rubin at 757-683-3590 or brubin@odu.edu.

Mary G. Morris has been CEO of the Virginia529 College Savings Plan since October 2007. She directs and manages the operations, resources and investments of Virginia529, the largest 529 plan in the country, and is involved in state and federal legislative and governance issues relating to the 529 industry.

Morris came to Virginia529 from the national law firm of Kaplan Fox & Kilsheimer LLP. As a tax, securities and bond expert, Mary was brought to the firm's Institutional Investor Client Services Group for her extensive knowledge of public financing issues and public service experience to expand the law firm's practice to state and local pension funds and other institutional investors. Her prior work focused on corporate governance initiatives and standards.

Prior to joining Kaplan Fox in 2002, Morris served a term as Treasurer of Virginia, appointed in 1999. As State Treasurer, she was the chief executive of the Department of the Treasury, which serves as the Commonwealth's chief cash and debt manager and manages the concentration, investment, and disbursement of all State funds. She was responsible for the investment of the Commonwealth's General Fund and the issuance and management of all Commonwealth debt, serving as chair of the Commonwealth Treasury Board and as a member of 11 other Commonwealth boards, including Virginia529.