iShares 529 Plan Supports Music Education by Providing 200 Arkansas Symphony Orchestra Tickets to Students & Families

iShares, a global leader in Exchange Traded Funds, has donated 200 tickets for music students and their families to attend the February Arkansas Symphony Orchestra (ASO) performance, “Valentines in New York.” The ASO will feature soloists Melissa Errico and Ryan Silverman performing beloved hits on Saturday, February 11 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, February 12 at 3 p.m. at the Robinson Center Music Hall.

Through its partnership with the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra, the iShares 529 Plan ‘s gift of tickets to the families of members of the youth orchestra provide the musicians’ families the chance to enjoy the upcoming performance together.

The iShares 529 Plan is a college savings plan sponsored by the State of Arkansas and a strong supporter of arts and education programs in the region.

“Cultural institutions like the ASO deserve our support, and young musicians and their families deserve to see where their careers can lead with the right dedication and access to higher education,” said Raman Suri with BlackRock, the firm behind the iShares 529 Plan. “We are thrilled to help expand the horizons of aspiring musicians and their families.”

The iShares 529 Plan offers additional tax benefits to account owners who are Arkansas taxpayers. For example, Arkansas taxpayers can deduct up to $5,000 (up to $10,000 for married couples) of their iShares 529 Plan contributions from their Arkansas adjusted gross income1.

For more information about the iShares 529 Plan, please visit www.ishares529.com.

About the iShares 529 Plan: The iShares 529 Plan is a college savings plan sponsored by the State of Arkansas. It is available through financial advisors, and is the only 529 plan with all Exchange Traded Funds as the underlying investments. With Exchange Traded Funds at its core, the iShares 529 Plan breaks new ground in the 529 plan arena by offering attractive benefits, including low expenses and transparency. For more information about the iShares 529 Plan, please visit www.ishares529.com.

About BlackRock: BlackRock is a leader in investment management, risk management and advisory services for institutional and retail clients worldwide. At December 31, 2011, BlackRock's AUM was $3.513 trillion. BlackRock offers products that span the risk spectrum to meet clients' needs, including active, enhanced and index strategies across markets and asset classes. Products are offered in a variety of structures including separate accounts, mutual funds, iShares® (exchange-traded funds), and other pooled investment vehicles. BlackRock also offers risk management, advisory and enterprise investment system services to a broad base of institutional investors through BlackRock Solutions®. Headquartered in New York City, as of December 31, 2011, the firm has approximately 10,100 employees in 27 countries and a major presence in key global markets, including North and South America, Europe, Asia, Australia and the Middle East and Africa. For additional information, please visit the Company's website at www.blackrock.com

About iShares: iShares is the global product leader in exchange traded funds with over 460 funds globally across equities, fixed income and commodities, which trade on 19 exchanges worldwide. The iShares Funds are bought and sold like common stocks on securities exchanges. The iShares Funds are attractive to many individual and institutional investors and financial intermediaries because of their relative low cost, tax efficiency and trading flexibility. Investors can purchase and sell shares through any brokerage firm, financial advisor, or online broker, and hold the funds in any type of brokerage account. The iShares customer base consists of the institutional segment of pension plans and fund managers, as well as the retail segment of financial advisors and high net worth individuals.

For more information about the iShares 529 Plan, contact your financial advisor, call 1-888-529-9552 or visit www.ishares529.com to obtain a Program Description and Participation Agreement which includes investment objectives, risks, charges, expenses, and other important information; read and consider it carefully before investing or sending money. Upromise Investments, Inc. Co-Distributor and Underwriter; BlackRock Investments, LLC, Co-Distributor.

If you are not an Arkansas taxpayer, consider before investing whether your or the designated beneficiary’s home state offers any state tax or other benefits that are only available for investments in such state's qualified tuition program.

The iShares 529 Plan is a college tuition savings program sponsored by the State of Arkansas and is administered by The Arkansas 529 Plan Review Committee (Committee). Upromise Investments, Inc. (UII), and Upromise Investment Advisors, LLC (UIA), serve as the Program Manager and Recordkeeping and Servicing Agent, respectively, with overall responsibility for the day-to-day operations, including marketing and co-distribution of the iShares 529 Plan. BlackRock Investments, LLC also has responsibility for co-distribution of the iShares 529 Plan. BlackRock Institutional Trust Company, N.A., serves as Investment Manager of the iShares 529 Plan except for the Savings Portfolio, which is managed by Sallie Mae Bank. The iShares 529 Plan’s Portfolios invest in either (i) exchange traded funds; or (ii) a Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC)-insured omnibus savings account held in trust by the Committee at Sallie Mae Bank. Upromise, Inc., UII, UIA and Sallie Mae Bank are affiliates. Units of the Portfolios are municipal securities, are not exchange traded funds, and the value of units will vary with market conditions.

Investment returns will vary depending on the performance of the Portfolios you choose. Except to the extent of FDIC insurance available for the Savings Portfolio, you could lose all or a portion of your money by investing in the iShares 529 Plan, depending on market conditions. Account Owners assume all investment risks as well as responsibility for any federal and state tax consequences.

The Aggregate balance of all 529 Plan accounts sponsored by the State of Arkansas for the same designated beneficiary may not exceed $366,000.

A periodic plan of regular investment cannot assure a profit or protect against a loss in a declining market.

Neither BlackRock Institutional Trust Company, N.A., and its affiliates nor Upromise and its affiliates provide tax advice. Please note that (i) any discussion of U.S. tax matters contained in this communication cannot be used by you for the purpose of avoiding tax penalties; (ii) this communication was written to support the promotion or marketing of the matters addressed herein: and (iii) you should seek advice based on your particular circumstances from an independent tax advisor.

BlackRock Institutional Trust Company, N.A. and BlackRock Investments, LLC are subsidiaries of BlackRock, Inc., none of which is affiliated with Upromise.

© 2012 BlackRock Institutional Trust Company, N.A. iShares® is a registered trademark of BlackRock Institutional Trust Company, N.A. BlackRock® is a registered trademark of BlackRock, Inc. All other trademarks, servicemarks or registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners. 529-0240-0112

* Not FDIC Insured (except for the Savings Portfolio) * No Bank, State or Federal Guarantee * May Lose Value

1 Contributions to the Plan in a tax year are deductible from Arkansas state income tax, subject to recapture in subsequent years in which non-qualified withdrawals or a rollover out to another state’s 529 plan is made.