DES MOINES, Iowa, May 4, 2026 /3BL/ - Hundreds of students, educators, and community leaders gathered Friday at North High School for a future-focused 529 Celebration, a pep-assembly event recognizing the growing investment in students’ futures through 529 college savings accounts and a $750,000 grant from the Wells Fargo Foundation to help get those accounts started.
By Degrees Foundation, a Des Moines-based nonprofit, operates one of the only programs in the nation that pairs early and ongoing postsecondary and career exploration with real-dollar investments into student 529 savings accounts. In November 2025, the organization announced the expansion of its 529 savings program to all students at North High School. In the first six months of the initiative, By Degrees opened 193 student 529 savings accounts at North High and invested more than $38,000 in seed funding.
“Our work is about expanding opportunity and economic mobility for more families in central Iowa,” said Emily Westergaard, CEO of By Degrees Foundation. “By Degrees helps students explore college and career pathways while building real savings for their future. Together, those strategies help students graduate from high school ready for what comes next.”
The Wells Fargo grant investment is supporting milestone deposits for the ninth-grade classes of 2025, 2026, 2027, and 2028, and will continue supporting those same classes as they progress through high school.
“Wells Fargo is proud to support By Degrees Foundation and help invest in students at North High School through the expansion of 529 savings accounts,” said Laura Howe, Regional Branch Network Executive of Wells Fargo. “When students and families have the opportunity to build financial savings early, it can be a game-changer that opens up possibilities for the future and nurture a mindset of saving for their future.”
By Degrees partners with Des Moines Public Schools to support students and families in north Des Moines through long-term school partnerships. The organization embeds staff directly inside schools and delivers coordinated K-12 programming that helps students tour colleges, explore career opportunities, and build financial assets for the future. After seeing strong outcomes at Findley Elementary, By Degrees expanded its 529 savings program to all Harding Middle students in 2024-25 with support from Mid-Iowa Health Foundation, and then to all North High students—offering the full program to every student at its partner schools. By combining education and asset-building in a single, coordinated approach, By Degrees aims to strengthen economic mobility and expand opportunity for students and families across central Iowa.
“At Des Moines Public Schools, we are committed to helping every student graduate ready for the opportunities that lie ahead,” said Matt Smith, interim superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools. "Our partnership with By Degrees helps make that possible, giving students the chance to explore options for postsecondary education while making a real financial investment in their future. Expanding 529 savings accounts to all North High students sends a powerful message that our community believes in their potential."
About By Degrees Foundation
By Degrees Foundation partners with Des Moines Public Schools to help students in north Des Moines graduate from high school with a clear plan for postsecondary education and career success. Through long-term school partnerships, By Degrees connects students and families to academic support, postsecondary exploration, career exposure, and postsecondary savings opportunities designed to expand economic mobility.
Media Contact:
Laila Williams, By Degrees Foundation Growth & Development Coordinator
(515) 528-5796 (cell)
