Programs All Over the Country Incentivize Saving for Education in Honor of 529 Day
Washington, DC, May 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — To commemorate national 529 Day, college savings programs across the country are using unique ways to raise awareness about the importance of saving for college. Leading these initiatives are members of the College Savings Plans Network (CSPN), a network of the National Association of State Treasurers (NAST), the leading objective source of information about Section 529 college savings plans and prepaid tuition plans.
Over the last 30 years, CSPN has tracked data which shows that American families are taking advantage of these tax-advantaged savings accounts. As of December 31, 2024, national savings in 529 savings plans surpassed $525 billion. A recent compilation of national data can be found here. The encouraging upward trend is a promising step towards combatting student debt, which currently amounts to almost $1.77 trillion in the United States.
“Tax-advantaged 529 savings programs for years have taken advantage of an otherwise perhaps unnoticed date on the calendar – May 29 – to celebrate what we know as 5-29 Day. May 29 comes soon after most high school seniors have made their decisions on an educational path and are excited about graduation and what comes next for them. Families are thinking about the benefits and costs of education,” said Mary Morris, Chair of CSPN and CEO of Commonwealth Savers, “With 529 Day we remind families of all ages to take time out and review their plan to pay for post-high school education, to start a 529 account if they haven’t already, or to contribute to existing accounts or set them up for recurring contributions and take some guesswork out of their long-term planning.”
Below is a sampling of the efforts happening nationally to encourage more Americans to save for education needs in a 529 plan in celebration of 529 Day:
- Alabama – As part of the CollegeCounts 5/29 Day Giveaway, we’re offering the chance to win a $529 contribution to a CollegeCounts account for 29 Alabama babies born between 5/29/24 and 5/29/25. www.collegecounts529.com/giveaway
- Alaska – To celebrate 529 Day, Alaska 529 is launching a fun social media contest inviting kids to get creative with the number “529,” whether it’s spelled out in Legos, crayons, or sidewalk chalk! Each photo submitted will be entered for to win a $1,529 scholarship. One winner will be selected at random and announced during a special Facebook Live event on May 29. Additionally, the T. Rowe Price College Savings Plan will host a “529 Day & Saving for College” webinar on May 29, 2025, offering insights and inspiration for families planning their college savings journey. This free event is open to the public, but pre-registration is required. https://www.facebook.com/share/1AfB4N2gPJ/
- Arizona – Treasurer Kimberly Yee is planning to surprise a lucky newborn family with a gift basket and $529 towards a new AZ529 Plan! She’ll be dropping by a hospital to visit and present the family with a giant check for $529. www.AZ529.gov
- California – ScholarShare 529 is celebrating National 529 College Savings Day with a $50 bonus for families who open a new ScholarShare 529 account between May 20 and May 31, 2025, with $50 or more, using the promo code 529Day25, and set up recurring contributions of $50 or more per month for six consecutive months. www.scholarshare529.com/529offer25
- CollegeAmerica – CollegeAmerica will be publishing an article addressing 529 asset allocation guidance and market volatility and having dedicated social media posts about 529 Day. CollegeAmerica will be hosting education savings webinars with dealer firms and encouraging internal associate driven events to recognize 529 day.
- Delaware – DE529 is sponsoring “Kids Run The Bases” all summer Sundays at the Wilmington Blue Rocks, Story Time at the Delaware Museum of Nature and Science starting in May, and Kids’ Day of the Delaware State Fair in July. We will be promoting the importance of college savings through social media in and around May 29th. www.fidelity.com/Delaware
- Georgia – To celebrate 529 Day, Path2College is offering a special $50 promotion: Open a new account with $50, set up recurring contributions of at least $50/month for six months, and get $50! Offer is available 5/20/25 – 5/31/25, for promotion rules and to enter visit www.path2college529.com
- Illinois – Treasurer Frerichs will be sending a personal note to more than 1,000,000 Illinois residents about 529 Day and encouraging them to save. John Mitchell, the Illinois Director of College Savings, will be featured on a May 29th episode of the money and finance podcast Making Cents of Money. www.brightstart.com
- Indiana – Indiana529 has launched their annual Faces of 529 Day Contest to celebrate National College Savings Plan Day on May 29. Five winners will receive a $529 Indiana529 account deposit for sharing a photo of who they are saving for during the month of May. For contest rules and to enter, visit MyIndiana529.com/529Day
- Kansas – Newly established Learning Quest 529 accounts opened between 5/21 – 6/1 will received a bonus initial contribution of $50 in celebration of 529 Day. On May 29th, the Kansas Treasurer’s Office has partnered with Kansas Children’s Discovery Center in Topeka to offer free entry from 5:29 PM until close (8 PM). https://www.learningquest.com/home.html
- Louisiana – The Louisiana Office of Student Financial Assistance (LOSFA) will celebrate 529 Day with a $529 giveaway. All Louisiana residents who make a minimum deposit of $29 into a Louisiana 529 Saving Plan account before May 29 will be entered into a drawing to receive $529 deposited into their START, START K12, or LA ABLE account. New account holders must open an account and deposit $29 before May 29 to be eligible for the drawing. https://www.startsaving.la.gov/index.aspx
- Maine – For Maine residents, FAME will use May 29, aka 529 Day, to share information about NextGen 529, Maine’s education savings, plan, and offer enrollment assistance. For accounts opened during a FAME-hosted information and assistance session May 29 – May 30, FAME will award a one-time $25 Maine Matching Grant.
- Maryland – In celebration of 5/29 Day, Maryland 529 will host a free informational webinar on May 29 at Noon to discuss the features and benefits of saving for education with the Maryland College Investment Plan. Maryland residents can also learn how they may be eligible for a $250 or $500 contribution through the Save4College State Contribution Programs. Click here to register today.
- Massachusetts – Massachusetts is celebrating “529 Day” throughout the month of May with expanded savings content across MEFA’s communications platforms. MEFA will host a number of webinars on the topic of Saving. https://www.mefa.org/ways-to-save/mefa-u-fund/
- Michigan – To celebrate 529 Day, MET is offering a $50 bonus to existing contract holders who contribute $250 to their MET between 5/29/25 and 6/1/25. New Purchasers may also qualify for a $50 bonus if they open a new MET with a minimum $250 contribution during online enrollment. Read the bonus rules and eligibility requirements for details. https://www.michigan.gov/setwithmet/-/media/Project/Websites/setwithmet/documents/Events/2025-529-Day-Bonus-Rules.pdf
- Minnesota – To celebrate 529 Day, MNSAVES is offering a special $50 promotion: Open a new account with $50, set up recurring contributions of at least $50/month for six months, and get $50! Offer is available 5/20/25 – 5/31/25, for promotion rules and to enter visit www.mnsaves.org.
- Nebraska – Governor Pillen is signing a proclamation recognizing 529 Day and the importance of saving for education with a NEST 529 account. We will be hosting incentive activities while promoting NEST 529 Plans. https://nest529.com/
- Nevada – This year, in celebration of 529 Day, we’re excited to connect with the community in a big way! To kick off the first week of summer, we’ll be exhibiting at both Cowabunga Bay water parks as part of a 529 sponsorship. The same evening, we’ll continue the festivities at the Las Vegas Aviators game, where we’ll be tabling to share valuable information about how we can support their education savings goals. To make this special day even more memorable, every baby born in Nevada on May 29th will receive a special gift from our College Savings Division. www.NVigate.gov
- New Mexico – In celebration of 529 Day, The Education Plan® is highlighting the importance of saving for future education by showcasing the dreams of New Mexico kids with a drawing contest (https://theeducationplan.org/529-day-contest/). We’re giving a family 4-pack of tickets to a New Mexico United soccer game to 10 families whose kid submits a drawing of what they want to be when they grow up. On May 29th, the winners will be announced, and the drawings will be shared on TheEducationPlan.com and on social media. We are doing a countdown to 529 Day on social media where we are sharing 29 reasons why a 529 plan is a smart way to invest in education. We have created educational content that will be shared on the website, including a 529 Day video “Top Questions About 529 Plans” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6CPGJPNi_M ) and an article “5 Ways to Save on 529 Day” (https://theeducationplan.com/5-ways-to-save-on-529-day).
- North Carolina – The NC 529 Plan will offer a free webinar at 11 a.m. on Thursday, May 29, to learn about 529 savings plan benefits, why starting early helps to build funds, and how easy it is to open an account. In celebration of National 529 Day, the NC 529 Plan is also giving away $1,529 for education to one lucky winner in the NC 529 Dreamchaser Sweepstakes! New and existing NC 529 Account Holders are encouraged to sign up for the chance to win by May 31. https://www.cfnc.org/save-for-college/nc-529-promotion/
- Pennsylvania – The PA 529 College and Career Savings Program is celebrating 529 Day with a promotion for new and current PA 529 Guaranteed Savings Plan (GSP) and PA 529 Investment Plan (IP) accounts owners with awards totaling more than $33,000! PA 529 Guaranteed Savings Plan (GSP) and PA 529 Investment Plan (IP) accounts that receive a qualifying contribution of $10 between May 1 and 31, 2025, will be automatically eligible for one of six regional awards of $5,529. Accounts must be open on or before May 31, 2025, and the account owner must be a Pennsylvania resident. Conditions apply. Read the official rules for additional details. https://www.pa529.com/529day/
- South Carolina – For South Carolina residents, PalmettoBabies born on 5/29/2025 are eligible to receive a privately funded $529 grant when their parents open a new Future Scholar account. https://futurescholar.com/news-events/palmettobaby/
- Tennessee – In celebration of 529 Day, TNStars will host a Facebook Live session and will kick off our $100 monthly scholarship giveaway. To enter the giveaway, Tennesseans can share how their child shines by sharing stories about their TNStars child and how the program is shaping their child’s future. https://www.facebook.com/TNStars529
- Utah – Residents may be eligible for up to a $40 match if they open a my529 account for a beneficiary who is new to my529 between May 1 and 31, 2025. To qualify, contribute at least $25 at opening, and set up scheduled monthly contributions for at least six consecutive months. More details at my529.org. https://my529.org/529day/
- Virginia – For one day only, open a new Invest529 account on May 29th and use the gift code 529DAY2025 to receive a bonus initial contribution of $25. www.Invest529.com
- Washington – To commemorate National 529 Day, WA529 (Washington Education Savings Plans) is conducting a sweepstakes in which three lucky winners will each win $1,529 in a new or existing GET Prepaid Tuition account. The entry window is May 1-27, and our mascot, Hootie the Owl, will announce the winners in a fun video on our social media channels on 529 Day. https://529.wa.gov/promotions
- West Virginia – State Treasurer Larry Pack will announce the winner of the SMART529 Fund the Future sweepstakes. One lucky West Virginia child will receive $15,000 in a SMART529 Savings Account. www.wvtreasury.gov/fundthefuture
- Wisconsin – Governor Tony Evers proclaims 5/29/2025 as 529 Day. Wisconsin College Savings Program offers a free webinar on 5/29 that will cover: what 529 College Savings Plans are, how they work, and the many benefits of saving for higher education expenses with Edvest 529, Wisconsin’s direct-sold college savings plan. Register here.
- Voya – Voya Investment Management is hosting a webinar on May 14th at 4PM ET for the Tomorrow’s Scholar 529 Plan: “Maximizing the Value of 529 Plans” will cover the importance of saving for college, 529 basics around saving and investing, financial aid, and choosing the right 529. Eligible attendees may obtain CE credit.
For more information about the College Savings Plans Network, visit collegesavings.org.
CONTACT: Catherine Seat College Savings Plans Network catherine@statetreasurers.org
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