Congratulations on the newest member of your family! You must be overjoyed! And maybe a little overwhelmed?
As you hold that bundle of joy in your arms, we know that you are already thinking about their future, which includes their education after high school. Ohio 529 CollegeAdvantage can help you step onto that path of success for them. Here’s what you need to know.
1. Short course for new parents
We know that there is a lot on your plate as you navigate being a new parent. We also know that you have already been dreaming about your baby’s future. Ohio 529 can help you save for whatever comes after high school for them. To make it easy and quick to learn about 529 plans, our 529 Short Course for New Parents. This is an easy-to-follow playlist of short videos and information designed to help new parents like you get up to speed on 529 plans—without getting overwhelmed. It’s flexible, watchable in under 10 minutes, and you can explore at your own pace. There are no sign-ups, no deadlines, and no pressure.
2. It’s simple to start
When you are ready, there are just four steps to open your Ohio 529 account. You can start with as little as $25 to make it easy on your family budget. See how other Ohio 529 owners have chosen to invest their savings including ready-made portfolios, individual options, and banking products. You can use the ReadySave 529 app to quickly open your account. You can also use the ReadySave to access your account, track account growth, and make one-time or recurring contributions.
3. The importance of starting early
The sooner you start saving, the longer your account benefits from the Ohio 529 tax advantages and compound interest. Compound interest is a great friend for any kind of savings with its big growth potential. Compound interest is earned on all contributions, all investment earnings, and all interest already earned in your 529. Put simply, the longer your Ohio 529 account is open, the more compound interest can help it grow. All these tax-free earnings will be yours to use to cover college and career training expenses.
Another way to help you save early without extra effort: Set it and forget it with automatic deposits from either your bank account or paycheck. You can take having to make regular 529 contributions off your list. Do you want your contributions to keep up with inflation? Then use the Annual Increase Option to increase the size of your contribution yearly.
Once you stop having to pay for things like diapers and formula, you can use those savings and other disappearing expenses to add to your baby’s 529 account.
4. Save for college, career training, and more
Ohio 529 is the flexible, tax-free way to save for education after high school. Ohio 529 can be used to pay for many qualified expenses at over 30,000 all kinds schools nationwide including colleges; community colleges; trade, technical, and vocational schools; certificate and credentialing programs; and apprenticeships. You can use your Ohio 529 account to pay for K-12 expenses at a public, private, or religious school. Also, you can roll over your 529 to a Roth IRA if it’s not needed for education expenses. So, your Ohio 529 plan can even jump start your child’s retirement savings.
5. Others can help with Ugift
Loved ones want to give gifts that have a lasting impact. Your family and friends can easily contribute to your children’s future education with Ugift. With a Ugift code, loved ones can make online gift contributions directly to your Ohio 529 without you having to share the actual account number. It’s easy to share your Ugift code. You can find it in your child’s account under “Share Ugift code…” or in the ReadySave529 app using the Ugift icon on the bottom. The app allows you to text your Ugift number to others. Ohio residents who give to your Ohio 529 account can also claim an Ohio income tax deduction for those contributions. Gift givers can also order free cards to send as an announcement of their 529 gift. Also, you can sign up to have reminder emails sent to you and loved ones for the big milestones in your child’s life.
Visit Ohio 529 CollegeAdvantage to start saving today for your child’s future education. An investment in a 529 plan is an investment in your child where every dollar saved today is a dollar that doesn’t have to be borrowed later. Learn, plan, and start with Ohio 529 today at CollegeAdvantage.
This article was originally posted in March 2025 and has been updated to reflect new information for 2026.
