Question 1

How will participating in a qualified tuition program affect federal financial aid eligibility?

Eric · Accepted Answer

A. When it comes to financial aid, ANY assets that you or the beneficiary own (not just 529 plan assets) can affect your eligibility for need-based financial aid. With 529 plans, your account is considered to be an asset of the account owner. Assuming the account owner is the parent, this means that, on average, about 5.6 percent of the value of the account is considered in determining the Expected Family Contributions (EFC). The EFC is the amount the family of the beneficiary is expected to pay toward that beneficiary’s higher education. With many other savings vehicles, such as a custodial accounts or assets that are in the name of the student, 20 percent of the value of the assets is considered in determining the EFC.

Remember, the majority of need-based financial aid is in the form of student loans, so whatever savings you accumulate for college expenses may help reduce the parent’s or student’s future debt load.

Question 2

How will participating in a qualified tuition program affect federal financial aid eligibility?

Eric · Accepted Answer

A. When it comes to financial aid, ANY assets that you or the beneficiary own (not just 529 plan assets) can affect your eligibility for need-based financial aid. With 529 plans, your account is considered to be an asset of the account owner. Assuming the account owner is the parent, this means that, on average, about 5.6 percent of the value of the account is considered in determining the Expected Family Contributions (EFC). The EFC is the amount the family of the beneficiary is expected to pay toward that beneficiary’s higher education. With many other savings vehicles, such as a custodial accounts or assets that are in the name of the student, 20 percent of the value of the assets is considered in determining the EFC.

Remember, the majority of need-based financial aid is in the form of student loans, so whatever savings you accumulate for college expenses may help reduce the parent’s or student’s future debt load.

Question 3

How will participating in a qualified tuition program affect federal financial aid eligibility?

Eric · Accepted Answer

A. When it comes to financial aid, ANY assets that you or the beneficiary own (not just 529 plan assets) can affect your eligibility for need-based financial aid. With 529 plans, your account is considered to be an asset of the account owner. Assuming the account owner is the parent, this means that, on average, about 5.6 percent of the value of the account is considered in determining the Expected Family Contributions (EFC). The EFC is the amount the family of the beneficiary is expected to pay toward that beneficiary’s higher education. With many other savings vehicles, such as a custodial accounts or assets that are in the name of the student, 20 percent of the value of the assets is considered in determining the EFC.

Remember, the majority of need-based financial aid is in the form of student loans, so whatever savings you accumulate for college expenses may help reduce the parent’s or student’s future debt load.

Question 4

How will participating in a qualified tuition program affect federal financial aid eligibility?

Eric · Accepted Answer

A. When it comes to financial aid, ANY assets that you or the beneficiary own (not just 529 plan assets) can affect your eligibility for need-based financial aid. With 529 plans, your account is considered to be an asset of the account owner. Assuming the account owner is the parent, this means that, on average, about 5.6 percent of the value of the account is considered in determining the Expected Family Contributions (EFC). The EFC is the amount the family of the beneficiary is expected to pay toward that beneficiary’s higher education. With many other savings vehicles, such as a custodial accounts or assets that are in the name of the student, 20 percent of the value of the assets is considered in determining the EFC.

Remember, the majority of need-based financial aid is in the form of student loans, so whatever savings you accumulate for college expenses may help reduce the parent’s or student’s future debt load.