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529 fee study
Savingforcollege.com's 529 Fee Study compares the lowest and highest 10-year expense totals for all direct-sold 529 savings plans. The data come from 529 program official disclosure statements unless indicated otherwise with an asterisk (*).
Please click here for a further explanation of this fee study.
Savingforcollege.com's 529 Fee Study -- as of August 1, 2010
| 10-year costs on $10,000 investment | View report sorted by highest cost or state |
| State | Direct-sold 529 plan name | Lowest cost options | 2nd lowest options | 2nd highest options | Highest cost options | Annual account fee | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Louisiana† | START Saving Program* | $0 | $16 | $295 | $307 | $0 | Zero-cost option is the fixed income fund managed by the state treasurer. |
| Ohio | Ohio CollegeAdvantage 529 Savings Plan | $243 | $306 | $978 | $1,271 | $0 | |
| Virginia | Virginia Education Savings Trust (VEST) | $257 | $333 | $607 | $1,230 | $0 | Figures do not include the one-time $25 application fee. |
| Utah | Utah Educational Savings Plan (UESP) | $262 | $268 | $439 | $452 | $3 per $1,000, max $15 | For Utah residents eligible for account fee waiver, costs range from $0 to $452 with the zero-cost option being the Public Treasurer Investment Fund. |
| Arizona | Fidelity Arizona College Savings Plan | $318 | $353 | $1,261 | $1,275 | $0 | |
| California | The ScholarShare College Savings Plan | $318 | $353 | $1,261 | $1,275 | $0 | |
| Delaware | Delaware College Investment Plan | $318 | $353 | $1,261 | $1,275 | $0 | |
| Massachusetts | U.Fund College Investing Plan | $318 | $353 | $1,255 | $1,275 | $0 | |
| New Hampshire | UNIQUE College Investing Plan | $318 | $353 | $1,261 | $1,275 | $0 | |
| Kansas | Learning Quest 529 Education Savings Program (Direct-sold) | $319 | $356 | $1,225 | $1,294 | $0 | |
| North Carolina | National College Savings Program | $326 | $390 | $714 | $1,137 | $0 | |
| Illinois | Bright Start College Savings Program - Direct-sold Plan | $355 | $368 | $813 | $849 | $10/$0 | Account fee is on Vanguard options only. |
| Alabama | CollegeCounts 529 Fund | $394 | $406 | $1,182 | $1,461 | $12 | |
| New Mexico | The Education Plan's College Savings Program | $406 | $444 | $934 | $958 | $0 | Figures do not include the $25 annual low-balance fee applicable to nonresident accounts under $10,000. |
| Alaska | University of Alaska College Savings Plan | $418 | $944 | $1,287 | $1,310 | $20/$0 | Not reflective of high-balance and auto-contribution accounts eligible for account fee waiver. No fee on ACT option. |
| South Carolina† | Future Scholar 529 College Savings Plan (Direct-sold) | $431 | $505 | $738 | $774 | $0 | |
| Rhode Island† | CollegeBoundfund (Direct-sold, Alternative R) | $468 | $689 | $1,420 | $1,432 | $0 | |
| West Virginia† | SMART529 WV Direct College Savings Plan | $468 | $750 | $1,201 | $1,271 | $0 | |
| New Jersey† | NJBEST 529 College Savings Plan | $505 | $738 | $1,294 | $1,306 | $0 | |
| Texas | Texas College Savings Plan | $506 | $667 | $1,053 | $1,089 | $0 | |
| Nevada | The Vanguard 529 Savings Plan | $555 | $604 | $798 | $822 | $0 | Figures do not include the $20 annual low-balance fee applicable to accounts under $3,000. |
| Oregon | Oregon College Savings Plan* | $555 | $580 | $1,052 | $1,415 | $0 | |
| Kansas | Schwab 529 College Savings Plan | $567 | $847 | $1,601 | $1,690 | $0 | |
| Michigan | Michigan Education Savings Program | $568 | $568 | $568 | $568 | $0 | |
| New York | New York's 529 College Savings Program - Direct Plan* | $616 | $616 | $616 | $616 | $0 | |
| Georgia | Path2College 529 Plan | $617 | $715 | $861 | $933 | $0 | |
| Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania 529 Investment Plan | $619 | $644 | $741 | $802 | $0 | |
| Iowa | College Savings Iowa | $628 | $628 | $628 | $628 | $0 | |
| Wisconsin | EdVest (Direct-sold) | $639 | $762 | $1,573 | $1,630 | $20 | For Wisconsin residents and for high-balance and auto-contribution accounts eligible for account fee waiver, costs range from $443 to $1,443. |
| Minnesota | Minnesota College Savings Plan | $645 | $694 | $706 | $767 | $0 | |
| Indiana | CollegeChoice 529 Direct Savings Plan | $652 | $676 | $1,004 | $1,345 | $20 | For Indiana residents and other accounts eligible for account fee waiver, costs range from $456 to $1,155. |
| South Dakota† | CollegeAccess 529 (Direct-sold) | $653 | $726 | $871 | $1,025 | $0 | |
| Vermont | Vermont Higher Education Investment Plan | $666 | $873 | $969 | $1,100 | $0 | |
| Missouri | MOST - Missouri's 529 College Savings Plan (Direct-sold) | $689 | $1,073 | $1,601 | $1,878 | $0 | |
| Kentucky | Kentucky Education Savings Plan Trust | $727 | $812 | $933 | $1,123 | $0 | |
| Connecticut | Connecticut Higher Education Trust (CHET) | $752 | $752 | $752 | $752 | $0 | |
| District of Columbia† | DC 529 College Savings Program (Direct-sold) | $778 | $948 | $2,298 | $2,309 | $15 | |
| Maine | NextGen College Investing Plan - Client Direct Series* | $785 | $1,230 | $1,428 | $1,429 | $25 | For Maine residents and other accounts eligible for account fee waiver, costs range from $543 to $1,189. |
| Maryland | College Savings Plans of Maryland - College Investment Plan | $835 | $944 | $1,287 | $1,310 | $20 | Not reflective of high-balance and auto-contribution accounts eligible for account fee waiver. |
| Colorado | Direct Portfolio College Savings Plan | $847 | $847 | $847 | $847 | $20 | Costs are $653 for Colorado and Wyoming residents eligible for account fee waiver. |
| Nevada | The Upromise College Fund | $908 | $908 | $908 | $908 | $20 | Not reflective of Nevada residents eligible for account fee waiver. |
| Nevada | USAA College Savings Plan | $936 | $1,056 | $1,467 | $1,536 | $15 | Figures do not include the $15 annual low-balance fee applicable to accounts under $5,000. Not reflective of Nevada residents eligible for account fee waiver. |
| Alaska | T. Rowe Price College Savings Plan | $944 | $992 | $1,287 | $1,310 | $20 | Not reflective of high-balance and auto-contribution accounts eligible for account fee waiver. |
| Florida | Florida College Investment Plan | $955 | $955 | $955 | $955 | $0 | Figures do not include the one-time $50 application fee. |
| Oklahoma | Oklahoma College Savings Plan | $981 | $1,029 | $1,206 | $1,217 | $0 | |
| Nebraska | College Savings Plan of Nebraska (Direct-sold) | $1,005 | $1,017 | $2,137 | $2,170 | $20 | |
| Nebraska | TD Ameritrade 529 College Savings Plan | $1,065 | $1,301 | $2,406 | $2,438 | $20 | |
| Mississippi | Mississippi Affordable College Savings (MACS) Program | $1,076 | $1,100 | $1,100 | $1,171 | $0 | |
| West Virginia | SMART529 Select | $1,076 | $1,100 | $1,194 | $1,206 | $25 | For West Virginia residents and for high-balance and auto-contribution accounts eligible for account fee waiver, costs are lower. |
| Idaho | Idaho College Savings Program (IDeal) | $1,122 | $1,122 | $1,122 | $1,122 | $20 | Costs are $930 for Idaho residents eligible for account fee waiver. |
| Arkansas | GIFT College Investing Plan | $1,123 | $1,123 | $1,123 | $1,123 | $20 | Costs are $930 for Arkansas residents eligible for account fee waiver. |
| Hawaii | Hawaii's College Savings Program | $1,123 | $1,123 | $1,123 | $1,123 | $20 | |
| North Dakota | College SAVE | $1,240 | $1,240 | $1,240 | $1,240 | $20 | For North Dakota residents eligible for account fee waiver, costs are $1,049. |
| Montana† | Pacific Life Funds 529 College Savings Plan (Direct-sold) MT | $1,375 | $2,265 | $2,384 | $2,454 | $0 |
† This direct-sold plan is open only to state residents.
* Amounts do not appear in official program description and are estimated by Savingforcollege.com.
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