Graduation time is here! High school seniors will walk across the stage and into the next phase of life. Some graduates are certain and excited about their next step. Others may be unsure what the future will bring. If you are feeling uncertain, there are plenty of options to support yourself while gaining valuable life experience.
How to Spend Leftover 529 Plan Money
What happens if your child ends up not spending all (or any) of the funds in their 529 plan? Maybe they received a scholarship or opted to enroll in a U.S. Military Academy, and now you need to figure out what to do with the money you saved for them. Although it may seem farfetched that your child will not need every penny, about 10% of families end up having funds leftover that the original beneficiary did not need. To put that in perspective, there are more than 14.8 million 529 plan accounts, and at the end of 2020, they were holding a record-high of $425 billion! If you and your child find yourselves in such a predicament, don’t worry, you have plenty of options to ensure the remaining money is put to good use.
The Conversation on Paying for College
According to an article by Forbes, the average total cost of a four-year degree is now over $100,000, more than double, even when accounting for inflation, than it was 30 years ago. Perhaps even more shocking, the total college price tag grew nearly eight times as fast as wages over the same period. Working your way through college is nearly impossible and it’s no secret that student loans make up the largest slice of non-housing debt in the U.S.
So how do you plan for and advise your child as they weigh their post high school graduation options?
15 Things to Know About College Savings Plans (with special Oregon 529 Plan Tips)
Do you find saving for college a daunting task?
You are not alone. It’s important to know that you have options for tax-deferred education savings.
The 529 is the most popular college savings plan available. We’ve identified 15 things you should know in order to get the most out of a 529 Plan, with a focus on Oregon 529 Plans.
