Appendix 1 · the state guide

Nearly every plan is different.

51 jurisdictions, 89 plans. Every state except Wyoming sponsors at least one; many run both an advisor-guided plan and a lower-fee direct-sold one. Twenty conform fully to the federal rules — the rest diverge somewhere.

Tax benefit for contributions to any state's plan

Nine states extend state tax benefits to contributions made to any 529 plan, not just their own — letting residents chase the best plan nationally without giving up the break. Thirty-seven states and D.C. offer a contribution deduction or credit at all.

9 states

Offer a tax credit rather than a deduction

A credit reduces your tax bill dollar-for-dollar rather than reducing taxable income, which usually makes it the better of the two. Four plans provide a credit instead of a deduction — Indiana, Oregon, Utah and Vermont — while Minnesota lets you choose between the two.

5 states

No state tax deduction for contributions

In states with no deduction, shopping nationally for the best plan — lowest fees, preferred allocation options — is suggested.

4 states

Treat K–12 distributions as non-qualified

A withdrawal for K–12 may be tax-free federally but taxable at the state level in these jurisdictions. California further penalizes such withdrawals by an extra 2.5%.

13 states

Morningstar Gold rated, November 2025

Morningstar's 529 ratings, released in November 2025, gave Gold to these five plans for their investment option design and low fees. Plans elsewhere carry higher expense ratios that erode returns over eighteen years.

5 states

Showing 51 of 51

StatePlans & official program descriptionK–12 distributionsFlagship cost
AlabamaCollegeCounts 529 Fund – Direct Direct-SoldCollegeCounts 529 Fund – Advisor Advisor-SoldNot listed as non-conforming $26,234
AlaskaGoldT. Rowe Price College Savings Plan Direct-SoldNot listed as non-conforming $25,279
ArizonaArizona Education Savings Plan-Fidelity Direct-SoldArizona Education Savings Plan-Goldman Sachs Advisor-SoldNot listed as non-conforming $30,201
ArkansasArkansas Brighter Future Direct Plan Direct-SoldArkansas Brighter Future Advisor Plan Advisor-SoldNot listed as non-conforming $23,019
CaliforniaScholarShare 529 Direct-SoldNon-qualified $28,325
ColoradoCollegeInvest Direct Portfolio Direct-SoldCollegeInvest Stable Value Plus Direct-SoldCollegeInvest Scholars Choice Advisor-SoldNon-qualified $27,617
ConnecticutCHET – Connecticut Higher Education Trust Direct-SoldCHET Advisor 529 Advisor-SoldNon-qualified $34,900
DelawareDelaware College Investment Plan Direct-SoldNot listed as non-conforming $29,918
District of ColumbiaDC College Savings Plan Direct-SoldNot listed as non-conforming—
FloridaFlorida 529 Savings Plan Direct-SoldFlorida Prepaid College Plan Prepaid TuitionNot listed as non-conforming $18,362
GeorgiaPath2College 529 Plan Direct-SoldNot listed as non-conforming $21,488
HawaiiHI529 – Hawaii's College Savings Program Direct-SoldNon-qualified $26,464
IdahoIDeal – Idaho College Savings Program Direct-SoldNot listed as non-conforming $21,327
IllinoisGoldBright Start Direct-Sold College Savings Direct-SoldBright Directions Advisor-Guided 529 Advisor-SoldCollege Illinois! Prepaid Tuition Program Prepaid TuitionNon-qualified $30,567
IndianaCollegeChoice 529 Direct Savings Plan Direct-SoldCollegeChoice Advisor 529 Savings Plan Advisor-SoldNot listed as non-conforming $23,509
IowaISave 529 Plan Direct-SoldNot listed as non-conforming $22,825
KansasQuest 529 Education Savings Direct-SoldNot listed as non-conforming $24,600
KentuckyKY Saves 529 Direct-SoldNot listed as non-conforming $27,222
LouisianaSTART Saving Program Direct-SoldNot listed as non-conforming $21,288
MaineNextGen 529 – Client Connect Series Direct-SoldNextGen 529 – Client Direct Series Direct-SoldNextGen 529 – Client Select Series Advisor-SoldNot listed as non-conforming $32,020
MarylandMaryland College Investment Plan Direct-SoldNot listed as non-conforming $25,655
MassachusettsGoldUFund College Investing Plan Direct-SoldUPlan Prepaid Tuition Program Prepaid TuitionNot listed as non-conforming $33,815
MichiganMichigan Education Savings Program (MESP) Direct-SoldMI 529 Advisor Plan (MAP) Advisor-SoldMichigan Education Trust (MET) Prepaid Prepaid TuitionNon-qualified $30,512
MinnesotaMinnesota College Savings Plan Direct-SoldNon-qualified $30,562
MississippiMississippi Affordable College Savings (MACS) Direct-SoldMississippi Prepaid Affordable College Tuition (MPACT) Prepaid TuitionNot listed as non-conforming $21,548
MissouriMOST – Missouri's 529 Education Plan Direct-SoldNot listed as non-conforming $23,468
MontanaAchieve Montana 529 Direct-SoldNon-qualified $21,930
NebraskaNEST Direct College Savings Plan Direct-SoldNEST Advisor College Savings Plan Advisor-SoldBloomwell 529 College Savings Plan Direct-SoldState Farm 529 Savings Plan Advisor-SoldNon-qualified $23,040
NevadaNVPrepaid.gov Prepaid TuitionVanguard 529 College Savings Plan Direct-SoldJPMorgan Future Path 529 Plan Advisor-SoldVictory Capital 529 Education Savings Plan Advisor-SoldWealthfront 529 Plan Advisor-SoldNot listed as non-conforming $22,716
New HampshireUNIQUE College Investing Plan Direct-SoldNot listed as non-conforming $34,550
New JerseyFranklin Templeton NJBest Advisor-SoldNot listed as non-conforming $32,789
New MexicoThe Education Plan Direct-SoldNew Mexico Scholar's Edge Advisor-SoldNon-qualified $20,320
New YorkNY 529 Direct Plan Direct-SoldNY 529 Advisor-Guided Plan Advisor-SoldNon-qualified $25,866
North CarolinaNC 529 Plan Direct-SoldNot listed as non-conforming $20,867
North DakotaCollege SAVE Direct-SoldNot listed as non-conforming $22,293
OhioOhio CollegeAdvantage 529 Savings Plan Direct-SoldOhio BlackRock CollegeAdvantage Advisor 529 Advisor-SoldNot listed as non-conforming $26,935
OklahomaOklahoma 529 College Savings Plan Direct-SoldNot listed as non-conforming $22,895
OregonEmbark Direct-SoldOregon MFS 529 Savings Plan Advisor-SoldNon-qualified $30,835
PennsylvaniaGoldPA 529 Investment Plan Direct-SoldPA 529 Guaranteed Savings Plan Prepaid TuitionNot listed as non-conforming $35,036
Rhode IslandCollegeBound Saver Direct-SoldNot listed as non-conforming $33,330
South CarolinaFuture Scholar 529 College Savings Plan – Direct Direct-SoldFuture Scholar 529 College Savings Plan – Advisor Advisor-SoldNot listed as non-conforming $28,952
South DakotaCollegeAccess 529 Plan Direct-SoldCollegeAccess 529 Plan Advisor-SoldNot listed as non-conforming $20,430
TennesseeTNStars College Savings 529 Program Direct-SoldNot listed as non-conforming $27,770
TexasTexas College Savings Plan Direct-SoldTexas Tuition Promise Fund Prepaid TuitionLoneStar 529 Plan Advisor-SoldNot listed as non-conforming $26,498
UtahGoldmy529 (Utah Educational Savings Plan) Direct-SoldNot listed as non-conforming $23,111
VermontVermont Higher Education Investment Plan Direct-SoldNon-qualified $36,473
VirginiaInvest529 Direct-SoldCollegeAmerica 529 Savings Plan Advisor-SoldPrepaid529 Prepaid TuitionNot listed as non-conforming $32,128
WashingtonDreamAhead College Investment Plan Direct-SoldWashington Guaranteed Education Tuition (GET) Prepaid TuitionNot listed as non-conforming $29,710
West VirginiaSMART529 WV Direct College Savings Plan Direct-SoldSMART529 Select Advisor-SoldThe Hartford SMART529 Advisor-SoldNot listed as non-conforming $22,550
WisconsinEdvest 529 College Savings Plan Direct-SoldTomorrow's Scholar 529 Advisor-SoldNot listed as non-conforming $23,215
WyomingNo known sponsored plan Direct-SoldNot listed as non-conforming $19,280

Each plan name links to that plan's official program description, the document the book cites for it in Appendix 1. Blank cells mean the manuscript does not state a figure for that jurisdiction — not that the figure is zero. Check the state's own program description before acting.

Where these figures come from