Manage
Building an education fund is a lot like a retirement plan — automatic deposits work best. Even if you’re starting small, the snowball effect of compounded growth can make a big difference over time. It's easy to securely link your bank account to make direct deposits to Ohio's 529 Plan. Over half of our savers use the automatic feature, and you can set it as low as $25 per deposit at whatever time interval works for you. 
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See how automatic deposits can help you build a bigger education fund in this 29-second video.

The simplest way for family and friends to help grow your account is through Ugift. Every account has a unique Ugift code you can freely and safely share. For other ways to get your people involved, visit 529 Gift Central.

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Ugift is a great way for people to give the gift of education online. We’ll show you how in 29 seconds.

This is for anyone who owns a 529 account — usually parents and grandparents — for the benefit of a student. 

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Every Year
Review Automatic Deposit Status
  • Set up automatic deposit now: Log in Blue chevron pointing to the right, links to account login (then click Contribute > Electronically From Bank Account)
  • Change my deposit amount: Log in Blue chevron pointing to the right, links to account login (then click on Individual Account Number > Manage Recurring Contributions)
Revisit Goals
Check Investments
Preferences & Documents
  • Find important documents: Log in Blue chevron pointing to the right, links to account login (then click Profile & Documents > Statements, Confirms & Tax Forms)
  • Set document delivery: Log in Blue chevron pointing to the right, links to account login (then click Profile & Documents > Delivery Preferences)
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As Things Change
Account Changes
  • Update or check beneficiary information: Log in Blue chevron pointing to the right, links to account login (then click Profile & Documents > Beneficiary)
  • Move some or all of the money in an account to a different family member: Contact Us Blue chevron pointing to the right, links to Contact Us
Account Owner Details
  • Change name, address, phone, email: Log in Blue chevron pointing to the right, links to account login (then click Profile & Documents > Edit Identification, Address & Phone)
  • Change account owner name: Go to Forms Blue chevron pointing to the right, links to Forms (then click on Account Owner Change Form, as there is no online option for this)
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When It's Time To Pay For School
Parents
  • Pay the school directly from CollegeAdvantage: Log in Blue chevron pointing to the right, links to account login (then click the Individual Account Number > Make A Withdrawal)
  • Reimburse myself for expenses paid in the current year: Log in Blue chevron pointing to the right, links to account login (then click the Individual Account Number > Make A Withdrawal)
Grandparents

Our investment options are easier than ever to compare. We offer age-based investment options for savers who want simplicity and efficiency, risk-based portfolios, build-your-own portfolios from individual investment options, and FDIC-insured banking options. 

SEE ALL YOUR OPTIONS
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During Pregnancy
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By The First Birthday
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Pre-School Years
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Kindergarten Thru Elementary School
  • Did school attendance cut your childcare costs? See how shifting some of that money into your education fund can make a huge difference.
  • Birthdays, accomplishments, firsts, graduations — make sure family and friends have your Ugift code so they can help build your child’s bright future.
  • Use “money moments” in the year — tax refunds, bonuses, and gifting events like birthdays and holidays — to pump up your education fund.
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Middle School Years
A young man, leaning back, smiling into the camera, sitting at his desk with a book open in a classroom
During High School
  • By now, your future education expenses are becoming more clear. Use our tools and calculators to modify your saving strategy based on how much of the total cost you want to save.
  • If you're not using a Ready-Made Plan that adjusts risk as school nears, this is a good time to review your investment(s) and make sure you still have the same risk tolerance.
  • As graduation nears, it’s a good time to see how much school you can cover and, if possible, make adjustments to your contributions.
  • Share your Ugift code for birthdays, holidays, special occasions, and of course, high school graduation.
A young man in glasses smiling into the camera as he walks away towards the steps of his school, books in tow
Withdrawal Time
  • Plan ahead to pay tuition well before due dates to avoid school-imposed late fees or being bumped from classes for non-payment.
  • Get the lay of the land for making withdrawals and paying tuition. Do you want to pay an account withdrawal directly to the school, to your bank account, or to your beneficiary? How does the school accept payments?
  • Make sure your withdrawals match qualified higher education expenses.
  • Be sure your withdrawals take place in the same year that you pay for college expenses.
  • Keep detailed records of higher education expenses and corresponding withdrawals for tax purposes.
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After School
Option 1: Keep the account open for future “upskilling” — future grad school or additional college or certificate programs, or really any qualified program that an adult might need in the future to advance a career.
Option 2: Keep the account open for future grandchildren, as you can easily change beneficiaries later.
Option 3: Transfer the funds to a 529 Plan for another family member.
Option 4: Use the funds to pay off up to $10,000 of qualified student loans for a sibling of the beneficiary.
Option 5: You can choose to withdraw funds for non-qualified expenses, but while your original contributions aren’t penalized, you will have to pay taxes and a penalty on the earnings.
Option 6: If you're truly finished with your 529 account, it might be time to close it out.

Want to remind yourself to do something with your 529 Plan(s)? You've come to the right place.

Resources for guaranteed plan participants.

Only for existing plan owners — closed to new accounts in 2003.

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529 Short Course: New Parents

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5 things every new parent needs to know about saving for education

  1. Why Ohio 529?
    529s are specifically created for higher education savings. Unlike a traditional banking account, a 529 account benefits from tax-free earnings and tax-free withdrawals. For Ohio residents, there is also a state income tax deduction for those contributions.
  2. It’s simple to start.
    You can open your 529 account online in minutes with as little as $25. With ready-made portfolio options, you don’t have to be a financial expert to feel confident in your savings plan choices.
  3. Set it and forget it with automatic deposits.
    The sooner you start saving, the longer your account benefits from the Ohio 529 tax advantages as well as compound interest. Many new parents take their 529 contributions off their to-do list by setting up small automatic deposits from either their banking accounts or paycheck. Also, with our ReadySave 529 app, it’s also easy to track and adjust your account right on your mobile device.
  4. Save for college, career training, and more.
    Ohio 529 can be used at over 30,000 schools of all kinds, nationwide, including universities; community colleges; trade, technical, and vocational schools; certificate programs; and apprenticeships. Your Ohio 529 account can also pay for K-12 tuition at a public, private, or religious school. And, if it’s not needed for educational expenses, you can now roll over your 529 to a Roth IRA.
  5. Others can help.
    It’s easy for family and friends to contribute to your child’s account and receive tax benefits for themselves. You can share your account’s unique Ugift number with others to contribute online without creating their own 529 accounts. Those who live in Ohio will also receive a state income tax deduction for their contributions. Also, you can sign up to have reminder emails sent to you and loved ones for the big milestones in your child’s life.
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A mother watches her daughter open a gift

Ugift Is Savings Gold

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Hoping to find gold at the end of the rainbow? If you are saving with Ohio 529 CollegeAdvantage, you have the benefit of Ugift with your account, which is savings gold.

Ugift makes it easy for others to give to your Ohio 529 account. With Ugift, you generate a unique code which allows loved ones to contribute to your Ohio 529 savings plan without needing the actual account number. Once they have the Ugift code, your friends and family can visit Ugift529.com to make their online gifts directly to your 529.

When friends and family ask for gift ideas, share that you are saving for your child’s future education with Ohio 529. Then invite them to join in with gift contributions to your Ohio 529 account with Ugift. After all, a gift for your child’s education will truly last a lifetime.

The quickest and easiest way to pass along your child’s Ugift code is with the ReadySave 529 app, which you can access as an Ohio 529 CollegeAdvantage account owner. At the bottom of every page is an Ugift icon. Click on the gift symbol to view your Ugift code which you can send immediately as an invitation via texts, emails, and Facebook/Instagram chats from your phone.

Or log into your account online to view your child’s Ugift code to send to family and friends who would like to give the gift of education.

The Ugift code doesn’t expire. Which means whenever there is an occasion to celebrate­ like baby showers, holidays, birthdays, graduations, and special achievements, your family and friends can give to your Ohio 529 account. And they can choose to contribute as much as they want whenever they want. It can be a one-time gift or recurring gift; all they need is that Ugift code. Your loved ones’ contributions - whether big or small – will add up over the years. Added to the power of compound interest, these gifts will power your 529 savings to cover even more college and career training costs.

An added bonus for gift givers who live in Ohio: They are also eligible to receive a state income tax deduction for their Ohio 529 gift contributions, up to $4,000 per year, per beneficiary.

To learn more about all of the gifting options with Ohio 529 and order cards for special occasions, visit  529 Gift Central.

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  • 1 Thumbnail image for WATCH: Understand the cost of delaying
  • 2 Thumbnail image for WATCH: Compare the two most common ways to save
  • 3 Thumbnail image for READ: The 5 things every new parent needs to know about saving for education
  • 4 Thumbnail image for WATCH: Wondering about flexibility?
  • 5 Thumbnail image for WATCH: Here's help figuring out how much to save.
  • 6 Thumbnail image for READ: Why a Ugift code is savings gold
  • 7 Thumbnail image for WATCH: Concerned about annoying fees?
  • 8 Thumbnail image for WATCH: The simplest, most popular way to invest
  • 9 Thumbnail image for WATCH: Complete portfolios with predefined risk levels