College savings for every future
Understanding 529 plans and their benefits
Give a loved one the gift of knowledge, career skills and life-changing opportunities—in the form of a tax-advantaged, benefits-oriented account that can be used for a variety of qualified educational expenses.
What is a 529 plan?
Start your college savings with an account that’s flexible and simple to manage—and any earnings are tax-deferred!
A tax-advantaged way to save for college and other educational expenses
Can be used for expenses like tuition, fees, computers, textbooks, and housing and food1
A lower impact on financial aid qualification than many other investment options2
Open with any dollar amount
What can WA529 Invest do for me?
Tax-advantaged growth potential
WA529 Invest provides tax benefits for Washington families saving for college. Any earnings are tax-deferred, and withdrawals are tax-free when used for qualified higher education expenses. These advantages can add up and give your student an even bigger head start!
With tax-deferred growth, you can grow your college savings faster.
Taxable vs. Tax-Deferred growth over 10 years.*
- Taxable Investment
- $190.86
- Tax-Deferred Investment
- $216.49
Read about material differences between taxable investments and tax-deferred investments.
Graph Footnotes
- *Index performance data shown represents past performance and does not predict or guarantee future results. You cannot invest directly in any index. Index returns do not reflect a deduction for fees or expenses.
This chart shows the hypothetical growth of $100 invested in a Taxable and Tax-Deferred Investment over 10 years with an annual return of 8.1%. Performance represented by a standard balance portfolio with 60% Russell 3000 index and Bloomberg US Aggregate Index average ten-year return as of December 2024. Tax calculations assume federal tax rate of 22%, a state income tax rate of 0%, that all taxable investment earnings are paid annually, and that state taxes are not federally deductible. This illustration is for informational or educational purposes only and does not constitute advice, represent actual performance or predict future results and does not reflect any reduction for investment expenses. This material does not take into account any specific objectives or circumstances of any particular investor, or suggest any specific course of action. Be sure to consult your legal or tax professional for tax advice.
The Russell 3000® Index measures the performance of the largest 3,000 US companies designed to represent approximately 98% of the investable US equity market. The Bloomberg US Aggregate Bond Index is a broad-based flagship benchmark that measures the investment grade, US dollar denominated, fixed-rate taxable bond market.↩
Flexible spending
A WA529 Invest account can be used to pay for a wide range of qualifying educational expenses.
- Use your savings at colleges, universities, technical and community colleges, graduate, postgraduate, or professional schools, for apprenticeships, and more.3
- Pay for tuition, fees, computers, textbooks, housing, food, and other required expenses.
- Pay for qualifying K-12 tuition expenses.3
- Use your funds at eligible institutions in-state or anywhere in the world!
- Even use for student loan repayment subject to a lifetime limit of $10,000 per individual.3
Low fees and expenses
Saving for your child's college education shouldn't break the bank. That’s why investment expenses for the WA529 Invest College Savings Plan are less than the average 529 plan and less than half of what you’d pay for an advisor-sold plan.4
When you open an account, you can enjoy a variety of no-cost features like:
- NO application fees
- NO cancellation fees
- NO change-in-beneficiary fees
- NO change-in-portfolio fees
- NO loads or sales charges
- NO commissions
- NO transfer fees
Investment options
WA529 Invest offers a variety of professionally managed portfolios to fit your life situation, risk tolerance and college savings goals. So, whether you’re a new or experienced investor, prefer to be hands-on or would rather “set it and forget it,” there’s a plan for you!
Investment options
