529 Gift Central

529 Gift Central

Ohio's 529 Plan is the best way to be sure a gift will be spent on higher education — college, trade or tech school, certificate programs, grad school, apprenticeships, and more. Students can use the gift at schools nationwide.

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As you’re trying to build an education fund, you don’t have to go it alone.
Everybody wants to help.

Parents and grandparents agree that education is the gift they’d prefer over other items for kids — and Ohio’s 529 Plan has all kinds of ways for people to pitch in.

Get an Ohio tax deduction.

If you’re an Ohio taxpayer, gift givers can qualify for a deduction up to $4,000 per student, per year. You don’t need to own the account to qualify.

With as little as $25, you can give a gift for any occasion

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Ohio’s 529 Plan can be used for all kinds of education expenses, from the biggies like tuition to smaller items like books and supplies. See what qualifies as an expense.

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Your gift will grow tax-free, so it has the potential to become much larger over time. 

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It can be used tax-free — nationwide — at more than 30,000 colleges, trade and tech schools, certificate programs, apprenticeships, grad schools, and more.

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Ugift is a secure, online way for family and friends to help build a student's education fund. We'll show you how in 29 seconds.

Visit UGift529.com

Questions about Ugift? We've got answers.

Send a check directly to CollegeAdvantage.

Prefer to do this old school? No problem. Ask the account owner for their 11-digit account number. Include that number in the memo line of your check payable to the Ohio Tuition Trust Authority. You don’t need a special deposit slip.

Mail to:
CollegeAdvantage Direct 529 Savings Plan
P.O. Box 219305
Kansas City, MO 64121-9305

Open a new account and be the account owner.

You can open a 529 Plan for any future or current student as a gift and be the account owner. Many grandparents choose this option.

If you haven’t reviewed the information for non-parent account owners, here’s where you can find it.

If you’re ready to open a new account, go to our Start section.

These free cards are great for:

  • Sending a Ugift notification
  • Letting someone know you sent a gift in their name to CollegeAdvantage
  • Enclosing a check made out to CollegeAdvantage so the parents can write the account number in the memo line and send it themselves
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You can order up to 10 total cards per day, per person.

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529 Short Course: New Parents

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5 things every new parent needs to know about saving for education

  1. Why Ohio 529?
    529s are specifically created for higher education savings. Unlike a traditional banking account, a 529 account benefits from tax-free earnings and tax-free withdrawals. For Ohio residents, there is also a state income tax deduction for those contributions.
  2. It’s simple to start.
    You can open your 529 account online in minutes with as little as $25. With ready-made portfolio options, you don’t have to be a financial expert to feel confident in your savings plan choices.
  3. Set it and forget it with automatic deposits.
    The sooner you start saving, the longer your account benefits from the Ohio 529 tax advantages as well as compound interest. Many new parents take their 529 contributions off their to-do list by setting up small automatic deposits from either their banking accounts or paycheck. Also, with our ReadySave 529 app, it’s also easy to track and adjust your account right on your mobile device.
  4. Save for college, career training, and more.
    Ohio 529 can be used at over 30,000 schools of all kinds, nationwide, including universities; community colleges; trade, technical, and vocational schools; certificate programs; and apprenticeships. Your Ohio 529 account can also pay for K-12 tuition at a public, private, or religious school. And, if it’s not needed for educational expenses, you can now roll over your 529 to a Roth IRA.
  5. Others can help.
    It’s easy for family and friends to contribute to your child’s account and receive tax benefits for themselves. You can share your account’s unique Ugift number with others to contribute online without creating their own 529 accounts. Those who live in Ohio will also receive a state income tax deduction for their contributions. Also, you can sign up to have reminder emails sent to you and loved ones for the big milestones in your child’s life.
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Ugift Is Savings Gold

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Hoping to find gold at the end of the rainbow? If you are saving with Ohio 529 CollegeAdvantage, you have the benefit of Ugift with your account, which is savings gold.

Ugift makes it easy for others to give to your Ohio 529 account. With Ugift, you generate a unique code which allows loved ones to contribute to your Ohio 529 savings plan without needing the actual account number. Once they have the Ugift code, your friends and family can visit Ugift529.com to make their online gifts directly to your 529.

When friends and family ask for gift ideas, share that you are saving for your child’s future education with Ohio 529. Then invite them to join in with gift contributions to your Ohio 529 account with Ugift. After all, a gift for your child’s education will truly last a lifetime.

The quickest and easiest way to pass along your child’s Ugift code is with the ReadySave 529 app, which you can access as an Ohio 529 CollegeAdvantage account owner. At the bottom of every page is an Ugift icon. Click on the gift symbol to view your Ugift code which you can send immediately as an invitation via texts, emails, and Facebook/Instagram chats from your phone.

Or log into your account online to view your child’s Ugift code to send to family and friends who would like to give the gift of education.

The Ugift code doesn’t expire. Which means whenever there is an occasion to celebrate­ like baby showers, holidays, birthdays, graduations, and special achievements, your family and friends can give to your Ohio 529 account. And they can choose to contribute as much as they want whenever they want. It can be a one-time gift or recurring gift; all they need is that Ugift code. Your loved ones’ contributions - whether big or small – will add up over the years. Added to the power of compound interest, these gifts will power your 529 savings to cover even more college and career training costs.

An added bonus for gift givers who live in Ohio: They are also eligible to receive a state income tax deduction for their Ohio 529 gift contributions, up to $4,000 per year, per beneficiary.

To learn more about all of the gifting options with Ohio 529 and order cards for special occasions, visit  529 Gift Central.

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  • 1 Thumbnail image for WATCH: Understand the cost of delaying
  • 2 Thumbnail image for WATCH: Compare the two most common ways to save
  • 3 Thumbnail image for READ: The 5 things every new parent needs to know about saving for education
  • 4 Thumbnail image for WATCH: Wondering about flexibility?
  • 5 Thumbnail image for WATCH: Here's help figuring out how much to save.
  • 6 Thumbnail image for READ: Why a Ugift code is savings gold
  • 7 Thumbnail image for WATCH: Concerned about annoying fees?
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  • 9 Thumbnail image for WATCH: Complete portfolios with predefined risk levels