Families in Illinois looking to save to send their kids to college have plenty of options. In fact, some of the programs backed by the Illinois State Treasurer’s Office have been recognized as the top programs in the United States.

Illinois State Treasurer Mike Frerichs appeared as a guest on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show. He says one of the state’s programs is the only program in the country to receive a gold star designation.

Frerichs says even as the state has seen many credit downgrades in recent years, the state’s college savings programs have been bucking that trend.

Frerichs says keeping the college savings programs in tact will help send students to college with less debt. He says that could be very beneficial to the state for many years to come.