COLLEGE SAVINGS 101
Shannon Vasconcelos, Director, College Finance at College Coach, a Bright Horizons Solution at Work

Shannon Vasconcelos is Director of College Finance at College Coach, the nation's leading provider of educational advisory services to organizations and families. At College Coach, Shannon delivers workshops and provides individual counseling on the college finance process to employees at over 100 companies nationwide. She helps parents and students understand the processes of saving for college, paying for college, and education loan repayment, and maximize the tax break, financial aid, and scholarship resources available to them in a family-focused and ethical way. Shannon has been featured as a college finance expert in numerous publications, including Forbes, Money, Consumer Reports, and U.S. News and World Report. She is a frequent guest on the podcast, Getting In: A College Coach Conversation, and writes regularly for The Insider blog. Prior to joining College Coach, Shannon worked in student financial assistance at Boston University and Tufts University. She has a BA in Economics from the University of Massachusetts and an MA in Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning from Tufts University.
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Top 529 College Savings Plans
One-year rankings are based on a plan's average investment returns over the last 12 months.
State | Plan Name | |
---|---|---|
1 | Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania 529 Investment Plan |
2 | Louisiana | START Saving Program |
3 | Ohio | Ohio's 529 Plan, CollegeAdvantage |
Three-year rankings are based on a plan's average annual investment returns over the last three years.
State | Plan Name | |
---|---|---|
1 | West Virginia | SMART529 WV Direct College Savings Plan |
2 | Ohio | Ohio's 529 Plan, CollegeAdvantage |
3 | Delaware | Delaware College Investment Plan |
Five-year rankings are based on a plan's average annual investment returns over the last five years
State | Plan Name | |
---|---|---|
1 | Ohio | Ohio's 529 Plan, CollegeAdvantage |
2 | New York | New York's 529 College Savings Program -- Direct Plan |
3 | South Carolina | Future Scholar 529 College Savings Plan (Direct-sold) |
10-year rankings are based on a plan's average annual investment returns over the last ten years.
State | Plan Name | |
---|---|---|
1 | Ohio | Ohio's 529 Plan, CollegeAdvantage |
2 | South Carolina | Future Scholar 529 College Savings Plan (Direct-sold) |
3 | New York | New York's 529 College Savings Program -- Direct Plan |