Former Gov. Jeb Bush left a legacy in the Sunshine State, especially when it came to education.
Florida Prepaid allows families to pay for college for their kids before they ever even think about what school they may go to or what their major will be.
A local business owner contributes much of his success to the program.
Khris Johnson is a St. Petersburg native, a graduate of the University of South Florida, and owner of the Green Bench Brewing Company in St. Pete. Having only graduated in 2011, Johnson is off to a great start, with a four-year degree which he earned completely debt-free, thanks to his stepmother.
“She was one of the first people to hop on the Florida Prepaid Program," Johnson said. "From what I understand, she basically paid for my first four years of college just by paying increments for a few years."
The program actually started in the 1980s, but it was during Bush’s term that the Florida Legislature added more flexible plans to the Florida Prepaid Program, plans that are still available today.
Johnson says he’s thankful to not only his stepmother for starting his account, but also thankful that he went to college in a state with this type of program that allowed him to focus on what’s really important in school: his career.
“There definitely weren’t the stresses that I think a lot of students might have as far as financially," he said. "Being able to focus on what you want and not necessarily be burdened with anything extra definitely helps."