How to Open a 529 Plan in Texas

This step-by-step guide to enrollment in Texas’s 529 college savings plans makes it easier for parents and grandparents from the state of Texas to open a 529 plan tailored to their savings and investment objectives.

1. Choose a 529 Plan

Texas has three 529 plans: the Texas College Savings Plan (direct-sold), the Lonestar 529 Plan (advisor-sold), and the Texas Tuition Promise Fund prepaid tuition plan (direct-sold). All are tax-advantaged savings accounts that offer the same tax benefits, including tax-free withdrawals for qualified higher education expenses. 

The Texas 529 plans have among the lowest fees of all direct-sold 529 plans. However, there are no state income tax breaks on contributions to the Texas 529 plan since Texas does not have a personal state income tax. 

There is no federal income tax deduction on 529 plan contributions. Families can invest in almost any in-state 529 plan, not just Texas’s 529 plans, so they may wish to shop around for 529 plans with the lowest fees and best performance.

2. Determine the Type of 529 Plan Account

There are two main types of 529 plan accounts: individual accounts and custodial accounts.

Most families will open an individual account with a parent as the account owner and a child as the beneficiary. Everybody can contribute to a parent-owned 529 plan account, including parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and other relatives.

Typically, only one parent can be the account owner. If the child’s parents are divorced, both parents can have 529 accounts for the same beneficiary. If a divorced parent has remarried, the account owner should be the child’s biological parent, not the stepparent.

If money from a custodial bank or brokerage account, such as a UTMA or UGMA account, is used to fund a 529 plan, then the 529 plan should be set up as a custodial 529 plan. With a custodial 529 plan account, the child is both the account owner and the beneficiary. Since the child is a minor, a custodian will manage the account on behalf of the child until the child reaches the age of majority. Note that the beneficiary of a custodial 529 plan account cannot be changed.

3. Complete the 529 Plan Application

To open a 529 plan account, visit the 529 plan’s website to get a PDF account application or to apply online. Printed account applications can be submitted by mail.

Most 529 plan account applications will require the following information:

• Name of the account owner
• Name of the beneficiary
• Personal information about the account owner and beneficiary, including their mailing address, telephone number, email address, date of birth, and Social Security Numbers (SSN) or Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers (ITIN).

The 529 plan account application may also ask for a successor account owner’s name and personal information if the original account owner dies.

The 529 plan account application may also ask you to pick an initial set of investment portfolios.

If the application form is confusing, call the 529 plan’s toll-free number to ask questions. The toll-free number for the Texas 529 plans is 1-800-445-4723. You can also ask questions by emailing the state’s plan, but do not include account numbers, passwords, or other personal information in the email message. It would be best to look at the FAQ on the plan’s description page since it answers the most common questions.

4. Fund the 529 Plan

There are several ways of depositing money into a 529 plan. These include mailing a paper check to the 529 plan and transferring the money electronically from your bank account.

All 529 plans allow you to set up automatic contributions from your bank account. You must specify the contribution amount and frequency (e.g., biweekly, monthly, quarterly, annually). The 529 plan will also need your account’s bank routing number and account number and a voided copy of a preprinted check or deposit slip.

Some 529 plans, including the Texas 529 plan, can set up automatic contributions through payroll deduction from participating employers.

Other options include a rollover from another 529 plan, money from a Coverdell education savings account, or money from the redemption of a qualified U.S. Savings Bond.

The minimum initial deposit is $25. Subsequent contributions, including automatic contributions, must be at least $25. The minimum payroll deduction amount is $15 per pay period.

There are no annual contribution limits for a 529 plan, but you can give up to $15,000 ($30,000 as a couple) each year without incurring gift taxes or using up part of your lifetime gift tax exclusion. 529 plans provide 5-year gift tax averaging, so you can give up to 5 times as much money ($75,000 or $150,000 as a couple) in a single year and treat it as though it were given over a 5-year period.

Texas 529 plans have a cumulative contribution limit of $370,000. After a 529 plan account reaches this balance, it can still earn interest and appreciate in value, but no additional contributions will be accepted. Most people do not reach this limit.

Many people start with a small, automatic monthly contribution and increase the amount after a few months. If you aim to save about a third of the future education costs of a public college education, start saving $250 per month from birth. If you can’t handle that big a contribution, start with what you can afford to fund the education savings plan.

5. Choose Investments for the 529 Plan

After the 529 plan has been opened and some funds have been deposited into the 529 plan, it’s time to choose investments for the 529 plan. The number of investment options is limited, making it easier to choose.

Most invest in an age-based portfolio, which starts with an aggressive mix of investments (e.g., mostly stocks) and gradually shifts to a less risky mix of investments as the child approaches college age.

The Texas College Savings Plan offers age-based portfolios as well as five static portfolios and five single-fund portfolios. The single-fund portfolios include an inflation-protected bond fund, a fixed-income fund, and a money market portfolio.

You can change your investment strategy twice a year, and you may want to consult a financial advisor or tax advisor to optimize your portfolio.