Arlo Guevin of Sitka, Alaska wins annual $25,000 scholarship

Arlo Guevin, a kindergartner at Xóots Elementary School in Sitka, is the lucky winner of this year’s Alaska 529 PFD $25,000 scholarship giveaway. Arlo’s mother accepted the check on his behalf at a presentation at the Alaska Association of School Boards conference in Anchorage.

His parents were thrilled to hear the news. “We explained to Arlo that he will have a lot of money he can use when he’s older to pay for classes,” said Mrs. Guevin. “We hope that Arlo continues his education after high school, however that might look for him. We also hope he can pick what he wants to do based on his dreams and aspirations, not solely on the most affordable option.”

His parents, both educators, have been investing Arlo’s PFD in an Alaska 529 account since he was a toddler. When asked what inspired them to open an Alaska 529 account, Arlo’s mom said, “Honestly, I think just being able to check a box on the PFD and have the money go right into his account was a huge part of it! The process was so easy. And because it’s from his PFD and goes straight into his account, it doesn’t feel like we’re spending money, it’s just a bonus.”

Arlo can use the scholarship at any eligible college, university, vocational, or technical school, in or out of Alaska.

“This scholarship gives Arlo an incredible head start on his future,” said Lael Oldmixon, executive director of Alaska 529. “The opportunity to win is a great reason for Alaska families to save their PFDs for education. And at just 5 years old, Arlo has many years of potential growth before he graduates from high school and heads off on the next step in his education journey.”

This is the 16th year of the annual giveaway, sponsored by Alaska 529 and funded by the Education Trust of Alaska, with more than 13,000 applicants. Alaska residents can qualify for the 2026 giveaway by answering “Yes” to the Alaska 529 question when applying for the annual PFD.

Past performance cannot guarantee future results. All investments are subject to market risk, including the potential loss of principal.