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Save today for a brighter tomorrow

An easy and convenient way to save for future education expenses with the nation’s largest 529 savings plan.

Use your Invest529 account for any of these approved expenses:

Higher Education

Tuition, fees, meals, room & board, textbooks, supplies and more

K-12 Education

Tuition at private, public and religious schools

Student Loan Repayment

Amounts paid on qualified student loans

Registered Apprenticeship Program

Fees, supplies and required equipment

Learn more about Invest529

Topics include:

  • How the program works
  • What expenses it covers
  • Where 529 funds can be used

Why save with Invest529?

Invest529’s award-winning portfolios can help you get started with as little as $10.

Tax Advantages

Earnings on your accounts grow free from federal tax when used for qualified higher education expenses. Depending on your state of residence, you may be entitled to additional tax advantages.

Low Fees

There's no online application fee, no annual maintenance fee and no withdrawal fee for qualified higher education expenses — and Invest529 administrative fees are among the lowest in the nation.

Flexibility

Accounts can be used to fund qualified higher education expenses at schools nationwide and overseas. These accounts can be used at public or private universities, graduate, vocational and private or religious K-12 schools, apprenticeships, and student loan repayment.

Savings for More than Tuition

Invest529 can be used to pay for qualified higher education expenses beyond tuition, including certain room and board costs, computers and related technology expenses as well as fees, books, supplies, and other equipment.

Rated Gold by Morningstar™

Low fees, tax advantages and diverse investment options are reasons Invest529 is consistently ranked among the top 529 plans by independent sources. In its latest annual rating (October 2019), investment research provider Morningstar awarded Invest529 a Gold Morningstar Analyst Rating™.

Invest529 offers a wide variety of portfolios to help you reach your savings goals.

Choose from:

Target Enrollment Portfolios

Portfolios are constructed to align with a future date when withdrawals may occur. The portfolios gradually and intentionally shift from equity to fixed income as the enrollment date approaches.

Index Portfolios

Index Portfolios track the performance of a broad market. These portfolios typically offer lower fees than other investment options.

Target Risk Portfolios

Target Risk Portfolios maintain a defined level of risk and hold a diversified mix of stocks, bonds, cash and other investments to create a desired risk profile. Target Risk portfolios are static and should reflect your current risk tolerance.

Principal Protected Portfolios

Principal Protected Portfolios are designed to protect against losses to the original amount you’ve invested, generally offering a more stable investment option.

Specialty Portfolios

Specialty Portfolios include investment options that don’t fall into the other four categories and include investment options like ESG Core Equity, and Global Equity portfolios.

Investment Options

Learn more about Invest529’s diverse mix of portfolios.

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Invest529 FAQs

First, read about the programs Virginia529 offers, specifically the Program Description for the program(s) in which you are interested. After you have selected a program, select "Open an account" from the top of any page to gather the information you need to get started. After you create an online user profile, you can complete the application for Invest529. To open a CollegeAmerica account, contact your financial advisor or visit americanfunds.com.

Any non-retirement investment or savings account may affect eligibility. For accounts owned by parents and dependent students, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) assesses 529 assets at a maximum of 5.64 percent of the value when calculating the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) for financial aid eligibility. Accounts owned by other parties will impact eligibility differently. For more information, consult fafsa.ed.gov or an educational financial aid adviser.

You have thirty years after the beneficiary’s projected high school graduation date, or thirty years from when the account was opened (if opened after the beneficiary’s high school graduation) for Invest529 and CollegeAmerica accounts. You have ten years after the beneficiary’s projected high school graduation date to use a Prepaid529 account. Virginia529, in its sole discretion, may grant extensions of time in which to use a Virginia529 account.

See all FAQs

Starting their kids on the right foot
Roxanne and John | Virginia
Flexibility and security
Suzanne | Virginia

Resources to help you learn

Online webinars & tutorials

View a live or previously recorded webinar to learn more about Invest529.

View library

Invest529 calculators

Use these tools to determine future higher education costs and plan your saving strategy.

Explore the calculators

Online forms & documents

Access important forms and documents to review program details, update personal information and manage your account.

Forms Documents

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