Compare 529 Plans by Features

Summary

Program type

How to enroll

The manager for Alabama CollegeCounts 529 Fund Advisor Plan changed from Van Kampen to Union Bank and Trust Company in August 2010. It features age-based, static and individual fund portfolio options using mutual funds from multiple fund firms.

Savings

Enroll through a financial advisor.

T. Rowe Price and John Hancock have teamed up with Alaska to offer the John Hancock Freedom 529 advisor-sold 529 savings program. It features enrollment-based and static portfolios utilizing mutual funds from over 20 asset managers.

Savings

Enroll through a financial advisor.

Arizona's Goldman Sachs 529 Plan is an advisor-sold 529 savings program that features eleven year of enrollment funds, five target-risk funds and 15 individual-fund portfolios invested in Goldman Sachs mutual funds.

Savings

Enroll through a financial advisor.

Arkansas' Brighter Future Advisor Plan from BlackRock is comprised solely of iShares ETFs and offers 7 year-of-enrollment portfolios, 4 asset allocation options, and 17 individual portfolios. These 21 portfolios can be mixed and matched or used independently of one another to achieve the investment allocation desired. Accounts can be linked to the Upromise rewards service.

Savings

Enroll through a financial advisor.

Colorado's Scholars Choice Education Savings Plan (formerly known as Colorado Scholars Choice College Savings Program) is sold exclusively through advisors. The plan's management changed from Legg Mason to TIAA-CREF Tuition Financing, Inc. in July 2021. The plan features enrollment year, target allocation, and individual fund portfolio options.

Savings

Enroll through a financial advisor.

The Connecticut Higher Education Trust (CHET) Advisor Plan is managed by Fidelity Investments. Fidelity offers the CHET Advisor 529 Plan through brokers, utilizing Fidelity Series funds in its age-based and static portfolio options, and Fidelity Advisor funds in its individual fund portfolio options.

Savings

Enroll through a financial advisor.

The Illinois Bright Directions Advisor-Guided 529 College Savings Program, sold through brokers and fee-based financial advisors, features an extensive multi-manager platform offering a large number of age-based, static multi-fund, and individual-fund options. In November 2017, the Bright Start Advisor-Sold College Savings Program combined with the Illinois Bright Directions Advisor-Guided 529 College Savings Program. Investments in Bright Start Advisor-Sold College Savings Program accounts were automatically transitioned to the corresponding Bright Directions portfolios.

Savings

Enroll through a financial advisor.

Upromise Investments, Inc., which was acquired by Ascensus College Savings in 2013, became manager of the Indiana CollegeChoice Advisor 529 Savings Plan in September 2008, replacing JPMorgan. The plan uses BlackRock, Schwab, DFA, American Funds, T.Rowe Price, Carillon Tower Advisors and Vanguard funds in its Year of Enrollment Option and mutual funds from various investment managers in its individual portfolios. The plan also offers an FDIC-insured Savings Portfolio from NexBank and the Capital Preservation Portfolio invested in the New York Life Guaranteed Interest Account. Accounts can be linked to the Upromise Rewards service.

Savings

Enroll through a financial advisor.

The IAdvisor 529 Plan is managed by Voya Investment Management Co. LLC. Voya succeeded Upromise Investments as program manager in March 2013. The revised program features an age-based option, four static allocation options, and 12 single fund options utilizing Voya funds managed by Baillie Gifford Overseas Limited; BlackRock Financial Management, Inc.;Brandywine Global Investment Management, LLC; Brookfield Investment Funds; Credit Suisse AssetManagement, LLC; Delaware Investments Fund Advisers; Hahn Capital Management, LLC; LSV AssetManagement; Polaris Capital Management, LLC; Van Eck Associates Corporation; Voya InvestmentManagement Co. LLC; and Wellington Management Company LLP.

Savings

Enroll through a financial advisor.

Kansas Learning Quest Advisor version of Learning Quest was overhauled in May 2007 and offers multi-manager age-based portfolios and static portfolios in addition to a menu of individual funds. Accounts can be linked to the Upromise rewards service.

Savings

Enroll through a financial advisor.

The Maine NextGen 529 -- Client Select Series advisor-sold 529 is managed by Vestwell State Savings Administration, LLC and distributed by BlackRock Investments, LLC.. The plan consists of Year of enrollment, static multi-fund, and individual-fund options from a number of money managers: American Century, BlackRock, Franklin Templeton, Lord Abbett, MainStay, MFS and Neuberger Berman. In addition, the Principal Plus Portfolio and NextGen Savings Portfolio are offered.

Savings

Enroll through a financial advisor.

MI 529 Advisor Plan, managed by TIAA-CREF Tuition Financing, Inc., features enrollment-year, asset-allocation, and individual-fund portfolios using funds from nine investment managers.

Savings

Enroll through a financial advisor.

Nebraska Education Savings Trust -- Advisor College Savings Plan changed program managers in December 2010 from Union Bank and Trust Company of Lincoln, Nebraska to First National Bank of Omaha. Plan management returned to Union Bank and Trust Company in 2020. Accounts can be linked to the Upromise rewards service.

Savings

Enroll through a financial advisor.

Nebraska's State Farm 529 Savings Plan utilizes Vanguard, State Street, DFA and iShares funds in its age-based and static portfolios. Union Bank and Trust Company serves as program manager, succeeding First National Bank and Oppenheimer/OFI.

Savings

Enroll through a State Farm Registered Representative.

The Future Path 529 plan offers a variety of investment options that use JPMorgan ETFs as the main investment vehicle. The Plan is managed by Ascensus College Savings with JPMIM as the investment manager. The program features college-date, risk-based and static portfolio options utilizing JPMorgan ETFs.

Savings

Enroll directly with the program or through a financial advisor.

Launched in October 2010, Nevada's Putnam 529 for America advisor-sold 529 savings plan offers an age-based option, 3 goal-based options, 10 individual-fund options, and 2 options consisting of the Putnam Absolute Return Funds. The 10 individual-fund options include several non-Putnam mutual funds.

Savings

Enroll through a financial advisor.

The Wealthfront 529 College Savings Plan is an advisor-sold plan sponsored by the State of Nevada with Ascensus Broker Dealer Services, Inc. serving as program manager. Wealthfront is a completely online platform serving as an automated investment adviser. Wealthfront conducts a risk assessment for each account owner and, in combination with the beneficiary's expected enrollment date, allocates its participants to one of twenty custom portfolios. These portfolios may be allocated among up to nine mutual funds and ETFs from BlackRock iShares and Vanguard.

Savings

Enroll online

In addition to its direct-sold 529 plans, Fidelity offers the Fidelity Advisor 529 Plan through brokers, utilizing Fidelity Series funds in its age-based and static portfolio options, and Fidelity Advisor funds in its individual fund portfolio options.

Savings

Enroll through a financial advisor.

New Jersey Franklin Templeton 529 College Savings Plan is an advisor-sold 529 savings program managed by Franklin Templeton featuring age-based and static portfolio options utilizing mutual funds and/or ETFs along with a money market option.

Savings

Enroll through a financial advisor.

New Mexico's Scholar's Edge is an advisor-sold 529 savings program. Ascensus College Savings Recordkeeping Services, LLC, as the program manager, is responsible for the day-today operations of the plan. Principal Global Investors, LLC, as the investment advisor to the plan, provides investment management services to the Plan. Principal Funds Distributor, Inc. serves as the distributor of the Plan. Scholar's Edge features enrollment-based, target risk and individual portfolios that are multi-asset and multi-manager strategies.

Savings

Enroll through a financial advisor.

In May 2012 New York's 529 College Savings Program was renamed New York's 529 Advisor-Guided College Savings Plan. Ascensus Broker Dealer Services, Inc. (formerly Upromise Investments, Inc.) serves as Progam Manager but J.P. Morgan Investment Management replaced Columbia Management Group, LLC as the plan's Investment Manager. The plan features age-based, static asset-allocation, and single-fund portfolios utilizing mutual funds from JPMorgan and SSGA. Accounts can be linked to the Upromise rewards service.

Savings

Enroll through a financial advisor.

The North Carolina State Education Assistance Authority (NCSEAA) contracts with Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC as the manager of The Morgan Stanley National Advisory 529 Plan. The plan is offered exclusively to clients participating in Morgan Stanley sponsored investment advisory programs. Account owners may invest in one of thirteen investment options comprising several MS 529 funds that invest in Morgan Stanley Pathway Funds.

Savings

Enroll through working with a Morgan Stanley Financial Advisor. All account owners must open (and continue to maintain) an advisory account with Morgan Stanley in order to remain eligible to participate in the MS Advisory 529 Plan.

North Dakota's College SAVE, managed by Ascensus College Savings, offers 9 investment options: three age-based options and six individual portfolios managed by Vanguard. In May 2017, the plan added an advisor-sold share class. Accounts can be linked to the Upromise rewards service.

Savings

Enroll through a financial advisor.

The Ohio BlackRock CollegeAdvantage 529 Plan is an advisor-sold 529 savings program offering seven target date investment options, three target-risk options, and 18 single-fund options featuring BlackRock mutual funds, iShares exchange-traded funds, and other fund families.

Savings

Enroll through a financial advisor.

Oklahoma Dream 529 Plan, an advisor-sold 529 savings plan is managed by Fidelity Investments. Fidelity succeeded TIAA-CREF as manager in September 2020. The plan features eight age-based, two static allocation, and 17 individual fund portfolios.

Savings

Enroll through a financial advisor.

Oregon's MFS 529 Savings Plan, an advisor-sold 529 savings program features year of enrollment and risk-based portfolio options utilizing MFS mutual funds.

Savings

You can establish an account in the MFS Plan directly with the program manager, or you may invest in the MFS Plan through a broker/dealer that maintains a single account.

Rhode Island's CollegeBound 529 savings program is managed by Ascensus College Savings with Invesco Advisors, Inc. as investment manager. The plan is sold through brokers (unit classes A and C) and registered investment advisors (unit class I). Rhode Island residents purchasing through advisors can use lower-cost classes RA and RZ. The program features a menu of age-based and static portfolio options utilizing Invesco funds. Accounts can be linked to the Upromise rewards service.

Savings

Enroll through a financial advisor or registered investment advisor.

South Carolina's Future Scholar 529 College Savings Plan (Advisor-sold) features an extensive menu of age-based and static portfolio options utilizing mutual funds from Columbia and a number of other fund families. Although sharing the same program name, the advisor-sold Future Scholar is significantly different from South Carolina's direct-sold Future Scholar, using actively-managed funds and index funds.

Savings

Enroll through a financial advisor.

The South Dakota CollegeAccess 529 advisor-sold only plan offers age-based, static asset allocation, and individual fund portfolio options utilizing a large array of investment managers including Virtus Fund Advisers, American Funds, DFA, Dodge & Cox, Metropolitan West, Parametric, PIMCO and TIAA-CREF.

Savings

Enroll through a financial advisor.

The program management of Texas' Lonestar 529 Plan was assumed by Orion Advisor Solutions, Inc. (previously known as NorthStar Financial Services Group, LLC) in September 2014. The plan offers an enrollment year option, three risk-based portfolios, and 20 individual asset class portfolios.

Savings

Enroll through a financial advisor.

Virginia's CollegeAmerica is a nationally-available, advisor-sold 529 plan that makes available a line-up of target date fund portfolios, objective based multi-fund portfolios and individual mutual funds from American Funds through Class 529-A, 529-C, 529-E, 529-F-1, 529-F-2 and 529-F-3 shares

Savings

Enroll through a financial advisor.

While a similar program (SMART529 WV Direct) is available to West Virginia residents on a direct basis, this advisor-sold version is available nationally. The Hartford SMART529 program features a menu of age-based, static, and individual portfolio options utilizing Hartford Funds, two iShares (BlackRock) funds, one MFS fund, and a stable value portfolio managed by Invesco. Accounts can be linked to the Upromise rewards service.

Savings

Enroll through a financial advisor.

Voya, under contract with TIAA-CREF Tuition Financing, Inc., manages Wisconsin's Tomorrow's Scholar® 529 savings program. Voya succeeded Wells Fargo as program manager in late October 2012. The revised program features nine age-based options, five static allocation options, and 18 single fund options investing in Voya mutual funds and other mutual funds managed by Baillie Gifford Overseas Limited; BlackRock Financial Management, Inc.; LLC; Brandywine Global Investment Management, LLC; Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC; LLC; Delaware Investments Fund Advisers; Northern Trust Investments, Inc.; Polaris Capital Management, LLC; Teachers Advisors, Inc.; Victory Capital Management Inc; Van Eck Associates Corporation; Voya Investment Management Co. LLC; Wellington Management Company LLP BlackRock (Singapore) Limited Invesco Advisers, Inc. T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. PanAgora Asset Management, Inc. Change: Teachers Advisors, Inc. to Teachers Advisors, LLC.

Savings

Enroll through a financial advisor.