CollegeAdvantage Guaranteed 529 Plan

Resources For Current Account Owners

The CollegeAdvantage Guaranteed 529 Savings Plan (prepaid tuition plan) closed December 31, 2003 and will not be accepting further contributions or new enrollments. If you need to continue to save for the higher education expenses of your child, your grandchild, another loved one, or your own education, you may open a CollegeAdvantage Direct 529 Savings Plan or a CollegeAdvantage Advisor 529 Savings Plan offered through BlackRock.

You may also transfer the funds in your Guaranteed Plan to any other 529 plan, including our CollegeAdvantage options. If you roll money into another plan, keep in mind this is counted as an exchange and currently the IRS limits exchanges to two (2) per calendar year.

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Guaranteed Plan FAQs

How is the value of my account determined?

The payout rate of a tuition unit is equal to 1% of the weighted average tuition (WAT) of the 13 four-year Ohio public universities in effect when the tuition unit is redeemed. It typically changes each July or early August, when the state universities announce their tuition rates for the academic year beginning that fall. The value of your account can be calculated by multiplying the number of units you have on account by the WAT payout rate in effect at the time of your withdrawal.
What is the current WAT (Weighted Average Tuition) value (payout rate) for the Guaranteed Plan?

Effective July 31, 2018, the payout rates for the CollegeAdvantage Guaranteed 529 Savings Plan are:

Tuition Unit: $105.80
Tuition Credit: $121.67 (only offered through end of 1995)
What is the current value of my account?

You can find out the current value of your account at any time by logging in to your Guaranteed Plan account and checking your account balance. In order to log in to your Guaranteed Plan account, you simply click on the "Account Login" link at the top of the page and select the Guaranteed Plan login. If you have already established your user name and password, you will enter that information on this screen. If you have not established your login, you will select the link to create a user name and password.
How do I withdraw funds from my account?

You can log in to your Guaranteed Plan account and make a withdrawal online. You also have the option of submitting a withdrawal request by downloading and mailing the paper form. Certain withdrawals require the paper form.
My beneficiary has finished college. Can I transfer his remaining Guaranteed Savings Plan funds to his younger sister?

You can make one transfer during the life of the account if the original beneficiary is 21 or younger. However, once the beneficiary turns 22, you can no longer transfer assets invested in the Guaranteed Savings Plan. But the funds in the investment are still yours. If you exchange the funds to another CollegeAdvantage Plan, you can then transfer them to another beneficiary. If you are rolling money over from your Guaranteed Plan to one of the other CollegeAdvantage plans, please keep in mind this is counted as an exchange and currently the IRS limits exchanges to two (2) per calendar year.
Does my beneficiary have to attend college in Ohio?

No. But, the value of the units and/or credits in your account is based on the weighted average tuition (WAT) of Ohio's public universities. The cost of a non-Ohio, non-public school may be higher or lower than WAT which is used to calculate the value of your account.
I opened a CollegeAdvantage account for each of my grandchildren with the Guaranteed Savings Plan. Can I change the ownership of the accounts to their parents?

The owner of an account with the Guaranteed 529 Savings Plan can transfer ownership one time during the life of the account.
I can't withdraw from the account. Why?

Control of the account might have transferred to the beneficiary when he or she turned 18. If so, you may still send funds directly to a college or university, but you and the beneficiary both must sign and have the form notarized for any other withdrawal. To modify control of the account back to you as the Account Owner, complete and submit the Pre-1996 Ownership Amendment Form, which you can find on the forms link on our website (you and the beneficiary both must sign and have the form notarized).
Does my account expire at any time?

When your beneficiary reaches age 28 or older, all remaining funds in a CollegeAdvantage Guaranteed Plan account must be withdrawn or rolled over to another 529 plan, including the CollegeAdvantage Direct Plan or the CollegeAdvantage Advisor Plan. You may request to keep an account open in limited circumstances for continued attendance at a college university, military service, or other exceptional circumstances.
Is there a minimum balance requirement?

Ohio Administrative Code permits the Ohio Tuition Trust Authority to pay out and close accounts with small balances and no activity; generally 5 or fewer units or credits and no account transactions for three years.
How do I close my account?

In order to close your Guaranteed Plan Account with CollegeAdvantage, you must liquidate/withdraw the remaining balance in the account you wish to close. The account must be at a zero balance in order to close your account. There are two means in which to close and liquidate your account: 1) complete the Guaranteed Withdrawal Form asking for 100% liquidation or 2) via your online account access requesting 100% liquidation. The Guaranteed Accounts close automatically once the balance is 0.