You want to make the smartest decision possible in all aspects of your life. When you start saving for your child’s education with Ohio 529 CollegeAdvantage, you select which investment options you would like to invest your funds.
Ohio 529 offers a diverse range of investment options to build your college savings strategy. These 529 saving options include ready-made target enrollment portfolios, ready-made risk-based portfolios, individual investment options, and FDIC-insured banking options, all provided from our partners and leading investment managers — Vanguard, Dimensional Fund Advisors, and Fifth Third Bank. Ohio 529 also offers tools to help you shape the college savings plan that is right for your family’s needs.
If you are wondering which investment options other account owners have selected, here is the latest “Top Ten List.” These portfolios held the largest balances of customers’ Direct Plan accounts for the first quarter of 2026. As of March 31, 2026, Ohio 529 has $20.44 billion in Asset Under Management (AUM), making your college savings program the seventh largest in the country.
Top 10 investments options in the Ohio Direct 529 Plan
The top 10 investment options with the highest value of assets under management (fund balances in millions, as of March 31, 2026) are:
- Vanguard Ohio Target Enrollment Portfolio (ready-made age-based portfolio), $4,425.35
- Vanguard 500 Index Option (individual investment option), $1,967.62
- Advantage Age-Based Portfolio (ready-made age-based portfolio), $1,533.23
- Vanguard Aggressive Growth Index Portfolio (ready-made risk-based portfolio), $1,173.76
- Vanguard Growth Index Portfolio (ready-made risk-based portfolio), $488.57
- Vanguard Wellington Option (individual investment option), $393.08
- Vanguard U.S. Growth Option (individual investment option) $389.06
- Vanguard Extended Market Index Option (individual investment option), $329.71
- Vanguard Moderate Growth Index Portfolio (ready-made risk-based portfolio), $280.63
- Vanguard Total International Stock Index Option (individual investment option), $270.67
Ohio 529 can be used for college and career training after high school at any institution that accepts federal financial aid, including trade and specialty schools, community colleges, certificate and credential programs, four-year universities and colleges, graduate school, law school, and medical school, as well as apprenticeships.
Save in Ohio 529 for tax benefits
There are several reasons to save for your child’s future education with Ohio 529, including the tax benefits.
First, earnings in a 529 plan are tax-free, so all investment growth, contributions, and compound interest are yours to cover qualified expenses.
Second, 529 plan withdrawals to cover qualified higher education expenses are tax-free for federally accredited programs. These expenses include tuition; room and board (on and off campus); mandatory fees; computer equipment and related technology as well as internet services; books, supplies and equipment related to enrollment and classes; and certain expenses for a special-needs student. Qualified expenses for accredited apprenticeships — like fees, books, supplies, and equipment like required trade tools — can be paid with 529 withdrawals, provided it is registered with the U.S. Department of Labor. You can also use your 529 at recognized postsecondary certificate and credential programs. There are certain requirements that must be meet for these credential programs.
Also, the repayment of a qualified student loan can also be a 529 qualified withdrawal. Any student loan that qualifies for the federal student loan income tax deduction can be paid with a 529 distribution. There is a $10,000 lifetime limit per 529 beneficiary. However, an additional $10,000 can be used to repay qualified student loans for each of the beneficiary’s siblings.
A 529 account can also be used to pay K-12 expenses for enrollment, testing, and tutoring, and education therapies at public, private, or religious elementary or secondary schools. Additionally, once your beneficiary has finished their higher education, any remaining 529 funds can be rolled over to a Roth IRA for the same beneficiary with requirements.
Third, Ohio residents who contribute to Ohio 529 can deduct their contributions from their taxable state income. This deduction amount is $4,000 per year, per beneficiary, with unlimited carry forward, which means that $4,000 is not a contribution cap. If an Ohio taxpayer contributes more than $4,000 in one year, they can continue to subtract $4,000 per year, per beneficiary, from their State of Ohio taxable income until all the 529 contributions are deducted.
Since 1989, Ohio 529 has been helping families across the nation save for their children’s education after high school. Ohio 529 covers qualified costs at any four-year college or university, two-year community college, trade or vocational school, apprenticeship approved by the U.S. Labor Department, or certificate or credential program nationwide that accepts federal financial aid. Learn, plan, and start for as little as $25 today at CollegeAdvantage.
