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FAQs

Achieve Montana is a 529 plan administered by the Montana Board of Regents of Higher Education (the trustee of the Montana Family Education Savings Trust). Achieve Montana offers special advantages including: tax-deferred growth, generous contribution limits, and professional investment management.

The easiest way is to enroll online. It only takes about 10 minutes. If you prefer to enroll by mail, complete the Enrollment Form and make an initial investment for the benefit of an individual (the beneficiary). You must open a separate account for each beneficiary.

When you enroll in Achieve Montana, you choose to invest in one or more of nine different Investment Options, including the Year of Enrollment Option, five Asset Allocation Portfolios and three Individual Portfolios, based upon your investing preferences, time horizon and risk tolerance. All of the contributions made to your Account grow tax deferred and distributions are free from federal and state income tax if used for Qualified Expenses.1

It only takes $25 to open an account (by check or electronic funds transfer), or $15 with payroll direct deposit if your employer offers that benefit. You can also make regular monthly, quarterly, semi-annual, or annual contributions (minimum of $25 per month) from your checking or savings account with an Automatic Investment Plan (AIP).

The total balance of all accounts within Achieve Montana for the same beneficiary cannot exceed $396,000.

A U.S. citizen or resident alien, 18 or older, or an entity that is organized in the U.S., with a Social Security number or Tax Identification number and a valid, permanent residential U.S. address can open an Achieve Montana account, regardless of income level. Parents, grandparents, other family members, and friends can open an account for any person they choose. You can also open an account to pay for your own higher education.

Yes. You can transfer your account to a “member of the family” of the beneficiary without incurring federal income tax or penalties.2

Yes. You may change your investment options up to two times per calendar year per beneficiary. If you have multiple investment options for a beneficiary, all changes for the calendar year for that beneficiary must be requested on the same day. For more information on making changes to your Account, see the Program Description.

Ugift® is an innovative online feature that allows you to invite family and friends to celebrate special occasions with gift contributions to your Achieve Montana account.

529 plan assets are counted at different rates for the Student Aid Index (SAI) in the FAFSA formula. Federal guidelines are as follows:

  • If the student is a dependent, a 529 plan account is considered as the parent’s asset (if the account owner is the parent or the dependent student). As a result, it will generally be counted at a rate only up to 5.64% of its value for the SAI.
  • If the student is not a dependent and is the account owner, the 529 plan account is treated as the student’s asset and is generally factored into the SAI at the higher rate of 20%.
  • In other cases, the account does not count as an asset for federal financial aid purposes. (However, a student may have to report distributions received from the account as income for these purposes).

Note: Financial aid programs offered by educational institutions and other non-federal sources may have their own guidelines for the treatment of 529 plan accounts. For complete information about financial aid eligibility, you should consult with a financial aid professional and/or the state or educational institution offering a particular financial aid program, since rules and regulations often change.

You can open accounts for as many beneficiaries as you wish by completing a new Enrollment Form for each Beneficiary. You may invest in any of the seven investment options for each account. Accounts opened beginning October 19, 2015 may have only one account owner and cannot be held jointly.

No. You can use the assets in your account toward the costs of nearly any college, university, vocational school, or other postsecondary educational institution eligible to participate in a student aid program administered by the U.S. Department of Education, which includes virtually all accredited public, nonprofit, and proprietary (privately owned profit-making) postsecondary institutions. The educational institution should be able to tell you if it is an “Eligible Educational Institution.” You can also visit ope.ed.gov/accreditation/ for a database of accredited schools.

Certain educational institutions located outside the United States also participate in the U.S. Department of Education’s Federal Student Aid programs, which means that money from your Achieve Montana account may be used to pay for qualified expenses at those institutions. Your account can also be used for nearly any graduate school, medical school, or law school, among others, nationwide.

You can also use the assets in your account for fees, books, supplies and equipment required for certain registered and certified apprenticeship programs; for K-12 expenses including tuition, books, curriculum and certain fees; and for certain credentialing expenses.  Please see the Program Description for more information.3

Any number of people can contribute to the same Achieve Montana account, but total contributions cannot exceed $396,000 for all accounts for the same beneficiary in 529 plans sponsored by the State of Montana. This includes any funds held for the same beneficiary in the Montana Family Education Savings Program Bank Plan which is closed to new investments but continues to administer existing Bank Plan accounts.

Any person of any age with a Social Security number or Tax Identification number can be named as the beneficiary of an Achieve Montana account. As the account owner, you can select a child, adult or even yourself as beneficiary. If your beneficiary decides not to attend college or another qualified post-secondary institution, you can name another beneficiary who is a qualified member of the same family as the original beneficiary without incurring any penalties. Please see the Achieve Montana Program Description for more information on who qualifies.

Yes. As the account owner, you choose the portfolios in which you invest, as well as the distribution of the funds.

  • Electronic funds transfer (minimum of $25) from your checking or savings account
  • AIP with scheduled contributions in set amounts of at least $25 per month from your checking or savings account
  • Payroll deduction (minimum of $15 per pay period) through participating employers
  • Check (made payable to Achieve Montana)
  • Rollover from a Coverdell Education Savings Account or a qualified Series EE or Series I U.S. Savings Bond
  • Transfer cash from an UGMA/UTMA account (Note: consult with a tax advisor as there may be tax consequences)
  • Ugift – Give College Savings (minimum of $15)
  • Upromise® (minimum of $25)

Yes. You can change the direction of your future contributions at any time. Federal law permits you to move your current assets in your Achieve Montana account to a different mix of investment options up to two times per calendar year.

Except to the extent of the New York Life Insurance Company guarantee that is available for the Capital Preservation Portfolio and certain of the Year of Enrollment Portfolios, investment returns are not guaranteed, and you could lose money by investing in Achieve Montana. For additional information, please refer to the Achieve Montana Program Description.

Achieve Montana has no commissions, loads, or sales charges. The total annual asset-based fee ranges from 0.395% to 0.587% (depending on which investments you choose). In addition, an Annual Account Maintenance Fee of $25 is charged to each account. This fee is waived if you are a Montana resident, use an AIP, take advantage of payroll deduction through your employer, or maintain an account balance equal to or greater than $25,000.

Upromise® is a free to join rewards program that can turn every day purchases — from shopping online to dining out, from booking travel to buying groceries — into cash back for college. A percentage of your eligible spending will be deposited into your Upromise® account. You can link your Upromise® account to your eligible 529 account and have your college savings automatically transferred. Visit Upromise.com to learn more and enroll.

Yes. We will accept a rollover of funds from an account with another 529 Plan into Achieve Montana. There may be many benefits to moving your account into Achieve Montana. The state income tax deduction is also available to Montana taxpayers who make rollover contributions from another 529 Plan into Achieve Montana.

Please contact a Client Service Representative at 1-877-486-9271 for details. You should also contact the sponsor of your current 529 Plan for additional details on rolling over your account. Please be aware that not all states permit direct rollovers from 529 Plans. In addition, there may be state income tax consequences (and in some cases state-imposed penalties) resulting from a rollover out of another state’s 529 Plan.

A newborn may be enrolled at any time. Keep in mind that you are required to submit the beneficiary’s Social Security Number on the Enrollment Form. You may also open an account naming yourself as the beneficiary in anticipation of the birth or adoption of a child.

1 Earnings on non-qualified withdrawals are subject to federal income tax and may be subject to a 10% federal penalty tax, as well as state and local income taxes. The availability of tax or other benefits may be contingent on meeting other requirements. The Montana Department of Revenue has not yet determined whether expanded K-12 Expenses or Credentialing Expenses are qualified expenses for Montana state income tax purposes.

2 An eligible educational institution is a post-secondary institution that is eligible to participate in a student aid program administered by the U.S. Department of Education.

3  Contributions may be subject to recapture in certain circumstances, such as a federal non-qualified withdrawal, rollovers to another state’s 529 plan, or a withdrawal from an account that was opened within one year prior to the date of the withdrawal, as described in the Program Description. (Recaptured Withdrawal). If the account owner is no longer a Montana resident at the time of a Recaptured Withdrawal, we may withhold the potential recapture tax from the Recaptured Withdrawal.

 

Earnings grow tax deferred and are free from federal and Montana state taxes when used for qualified expenses. Qualified expenses include tuition, mandatory fees, books, supplies, and equipment required for enrollment or attendance; certain room and board costs during an academic period the beneficiary is enrolled at least half-time; and certain expenses for a special-needs student. Qualified expenses also include certain expenses in connection with enrollment or attendance at an elementary or secondary public, private or religious school, certain registered apprenticeship program expenses, credentialing expenses, and repayments of qualified student loans.1,3

Yes. Contributions you make to an Achieve Montana account may be eligible as a yearly deduction to adjusted gross income of up to $3,000 per taxpayer per year ($6,000 for those married, filing jointly), in computing Montana state income tax.3

Individuals can invest up to $19,000 ($38,000 for married couples making a proper election) per beneficiary without incurring any federal gift-tax consequences provided you don’t make additional gifts to that beneficiary in the same year. In addition, “accelerated gifting” lets you contribute up to $90,000 per beneficiary in a single year ($180,000 for married couples making a proper election) and take advantage of five years’ worth of tax-free gifts at one time provided you don’t make additional gifts to that beneficiary for five years (Contributions are considered completed gifts to the beneficiary and are removed from your estate², but you, as the account owner, retain control.) For more information, consult your tax advisor or estate-planning attorney. 

1 Earnings on non-qualified withdrawals are subject to federal income tax and may be subject to a 10% federal penalty tax, as well as state and local income taxes. The availability of tax or other benefits may be contingent on meeting other requirements. The Montana Department of Revenue has not yet determined whether expanded K-12 Expenses or Credentialing Expenses are qualified expenses for Montana state income tax purposes.
2 An eligible educational institution is a post-secondary institution that is eligible to participate in a student aid program administered by the U.S. Department of Education.
3 Section 529 defines a member of the family of the beneficiary as an individual who is related to the beneficiary as follows: a son, daughter, stepchild, or a descendant of any such person; a brother, sister, stepbrother, or stepsister; the father or mother, or an ancestor of either; a stepfather or stepmother; a son or daughter of a brother or sister; a brother or sister of the father or mother; a son-in-law, daughter-in-law, father-in-law, mother-in-law, brother-in-law, or sister-in-law; the spouse of the beneficiary or the spouse of any individual described above; or a first cousin of the beneficiary. Gift or generation-skipping transfer taxes may apply. Please consult with your tax advisor for further information.
4   Achieve Montana account owners who are Montana residents are entitled up to a yearly $3,000 deduction to adjusted gross income per taxpayer, in computing their Montana State income tax, or $6,000 for those married, filing jointly, based on contributions to Achieve Montana. Contributions may be subject to recapture in certain circumstances, such as a federal non-qualified withdrawal, a rollover to another state’s 529 plan, or a withdrawal from an account that was opened within one year prior to the date of the withdrawal, as described in the Program Description.(Recaptured Withdrawal). If the account owner is no longer a Montana resident at the time of a Recaptured Withdrawal, we may withhold the potential recapture tax from the Recaptured Withdrawal.
5 Contributions may be subject to recapture in certain circumstances, such as a federal non-qualified withdrawal, rollovers to another state’s 529 plan, or a withdrawal from an account that was opened within one year prior to the date of the withdrawal, as described in the Program Description. (Recaptured Withdrawal). If the account owner is no longer a Montana resident at the time of a Recaptured Withdrawal, we may withhold the potential recapture tax from the Recaptured Withdrawal.

The money in your Achieve Montana account can be used for any purpose. However, to qualify for federal and Montana state tax-free withdrawals on earnings and avoid penalties, the money must be used for qualified expenses for the beneficiary at an eligible 2- or 4-year college, trade or technical school, a public, private or religious elementary or secondary school, or a registered apprenticeship program. Repayment of qualified education loans and certain credentialing expenses are also considered qualified education expenses. 1, 3

Qualified expenses include more than just tuition and fees at a college or university. There are many ways to effectively use the funds in your Achieve Montana account. Here’s a list of qualified expenses. These are qualified expenses for both federal and Montana State tax purposes unless otherwise noted:
QUALIFIED EXPENSE
Tuition, Fees & Supplies –
Includes tuition, fees, books, supplies and equipment required for enrollment or attendance at an eligible school.

Eligible schools include most 2 and 4-year colleges and universities and technical and trade schools. To see if you’re school is included, go to fafsa.ed.gov and look for schools that are eligible to participate in the Department of Education’s Federal Student Aid Programs.
Special Needs –
Includes expenses for special needs students that are necessary in connection with their enrollment at an eligible school.
Computers –
Includes computers, mice, keyboards, printers, monitors, etc., software, internet access and related services if it’s to be used primarily by the student while enrolled in an eligible school.
Room & Board –
Includes room and board of a student when the student is enrolled at least half-time.
K-12 Expenses* –
Includes to following as long as they’re incurred in connection with enrollment or attendance at a K-12 public, private or religious school:

  • Tuition
  • curriculum and materials
  • books
  • other instructional materials
  • online materials
  • certain tutoring and education classes
  • fees for certain national standardized tests, AP exams or exams related to college admission
  • fees for dual enrollment, and
  • certain educational therapies for students with disabilities

The annual limit for K-12 Expenses is $10,000 per student. Beginning January 1, 2026, the limit increases to $20,000 per student.
Apprenticeship Program Expenses –

Includes expenses for the following as long as they’re required for the participation of a student in an apprenticeship program that is federally registered and certified

  • fees
  • books
  • supplies, and
  • equipment

Education Loan Repayments –

Includes principal or interest on a loan to pay certain higher education expenses of a Beneficiary or a sibling of a Beneficiary (up to a lifetime $10,000 limit per individual).You cannot claim a federal income tax deduction for interest paid on a qualified education loan if you treat it as an education loan repayment.
Credentialing Expenses* –

Includes

  • tuition, fees, books, supplies, and equipment required for the enrollment or attendance of a beneficiary in a Credential Program, or certain other expenses incurred in connection with enrollment in or attendance at a Credential Program
  • fees for testing if required to obtain or maintain a Credential, and;
  • fees for continuing education if required to maintain a Credential.

*The Montana Department of Revenue has not yet determined whether K-12 Expenses (other than tuition) and Credentialing Expenses are qualified for Montana State tax purposes.

There are many different kinds of credentials available in the U.S. However, for 529 Plan purposes, the list of credentials is limited to the followings:

  • A credential that is industry recognized and is:
  • any certificate of completion of certain apprenticeship programs;
  • any occupational or professional license issued or recognized by a state or the federal government, and any certification that satisfies a condition for obtaining the license; and
  • any recognized postsecondary credential defined in WIOA, which defines a recognized postsecondary credential as “a credential consisting of an industry-recognized certificate or certification, a certificate of completion of an apprenticeship, a license recognized by the state involved or federal government, or an associate or baccalaureate degree.”

The definition of a Credential Program for 529 Plan purposes has several different options. It’s a program to obtain a Credential if the program:

  • is on a state list prepared under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). Each state provides its own list of programs designed to comply with WIOA. For example, Montana programs can be found here: https://wsd.dli.mt.gov/job-seeker/training-education;
  • is listed in the public directory of the Web Enabled Approval Management System (WEAMS) of the Veterans Benefits Administration;
  • provides training or education which prepares you to take an exam that’s required to obtain or maintain a Credential. The exam must be developed or administered by an organization widely recognized as providing reputable credentials in the occupation the exam relates to. The organization must also recognize the program as providing training or education that prepares you to take the exam; or
  • is identified by the Secretary of the Treasury as being a reputable program for obtaining a Credential.

Effective January 1, 2019, amounts paid as principal or interest on qualified education loans of a beneficiary or a sibling of a beneficiary (Education Loan Repayments) are considered qualified higher education expenses for federal tax purposes. The lifetime limit per individual is $10,000. Qualified education loans are certain loans taken solely to pay certain qualified higher education expenses. For purposes of paying principal or interest on a qualified education loan, a sibling is defined as a brother, sister, stepbrother or stepsister, including half-brothers and half-sisters, legally adopted children or children placed for legal adoption.

Effective April 30, 2021, Education Loan Repayments are considered qualified higher education expenses for Montana income tax purposes. You cannot claim a federal income tax deduction for interest paid on a qualified education loan if you treat it as an Education Loan Repayment.

Please see the Program Description for additional information.

No. You can use the assets in your account toward the costs of nearly any public or private, 2-year or 4-year college nationwide, as long as the student is enrolled in a U.S.-accredited college, university, graduate school, or technical or trade school that is eligible to participate in U.S. Department of Education student financial aid programs. In fact, many U.S. colleges and universities have campuses or locations outside of the country, where money from your account can be used. You can also use assets in your account to pay for eligible credentialing expenses and expenses for fees, books, supplies, and equipment required for the participation of a Beneficiary in an apprenticeship program registered and certified under the National Apprenticeship Act. You can learn more about apprenticeships at apprenticeship.gov.3

We do not require a child to attend college, technical or trade school, or participate in a registered apprenticeship program or credentialing program3 immediately after graduating high school. There are no restrictions on when you can use your account to pay for education expenses.

If a beneficiary decides not to pursue a post-secondary education (college, trade school, apprenticeship program or credential program), you have the following options.

  • Stay invested. You can leave the money in the account in case the beneficiary decides to attend school later. There is no age restriction for using the money.
  • Change the beneficiary. You can change the beneficiary on your account at any time provided that the new beneficiary is an eligible “member of the family” of the former beneficiary.2
  • Rollover funds to the beneficiary’s Roth IRA account.  In some cases, you can rollover the assets in your account to your beneficiary’s Roth IRA up to a lifetime limit of $35,000 and subject to the Roth IRA annual contribution limit without incurring federal income tax or penalties. A Roth IRA Rollover can only be made from an Account that has been maintained for at least the 15-year period ending on the Rollover Date. In addition, the Roth IRA Rollover cannot exceed the total amount contributed to the Account, and earnings on those contributions, before the 5-year period ending on the Rollover Date. Additional restrictions may apply under the federal Roth IRA rules and guidance.
  • Withdraw the money for other uses. The earnings portion of a withdrawal not used for a beneficiary’s qualified higher education expenses is subject to federal and Montana state income taxes, to a 10% federal penalty tax and a Montana recapture tax.1,4  For limited exceptions to this penalty, please see the Program Description.

Additionally, any accumulated earnings that are withdrawn from your account must also be reported on the recipient’s income tax return for the year in which they are withdrawn. Contact your tax advisor to determine how to report a non-qualified withdrawal.

You can continue to contribute to your account, and your beneficiary can still use funds in the account. However, if you move out of state and no longer pay Montana income tax, you will no longer be eligible to receive the state income tax benefits.3

You may request a distribution at any time. If the funds are not used for qualified expenses, the taxable party will be subject to federal and applicable state income taxes, plus the federal 10% penalty tax on any earnings portion of the distribution. If you are a Montana taxpayer, you, as the account owner, will be subject to recapture of any state income tax deduction previously taken on contributions to your account.1,3

There are several options from which you can choose:

  • Use assets in your account to pay any tuition and required fees not covered by the scholarship or grant;
  • Apply assets in your account toward other qualified expenses such as certain room and board expenses and books;
  • Change the beneficiary to a member of the family2 of the beneficiary;
  • Keep any unused funds in your account to pay for future qualified expenses, including graduate school;
  • Rollover funds to the beneficiary’s Roth IRA account.  See “Is rollover over assets to a beneficiary’s Roth IRA account a qualified distribution?” below; or
  • Withdraw any unused funds up to the amount of the scholarship or grant without being subject to a 10% additional federal tax penalty. Income taxes on earnings, however, will apply. The distribution may also be subject to the Montana recapture tax.

Beginning January 1, 2024, a rollover from a 529 plan account to a beneficiary’s Roth IRA account can be made without incurring federal or Montana state income tax or penalties.   In addition, a Roth IRA rollover is subject to several significant conditions including: 

  • The account must be maintained for at least the 15-year period ending on the date of the Roth IRA rollover 
  • A Roth IRA rollover cannot exceed the total amount contributed to the account, and earnings on those contributions, before the 5-year period ending on the date of the Roth IRA rollover 
  • A lifetime maximum of $35,000 per beneficiary 
  • The Roth IRA account must be maintained for the benefit of the beneficiary of the 529 plan account 
  • 529 plan assets must be sent directly to the Roth IRA 
  • The Roth IRA contribution is subject to the annual contribution limit for the beneficiary for all IRAs maintained for your beneficiary 

The IRS may issue additional guidance that could impact rollovers to Roth IRAs.  It is important for you to consult a financial professional or tax advisor regarding the applicability of these rollovers to your personal situations.

You are responsible for determining the eligibility of a Roth IRA rollover including tracking and documenting the length of time your 529 plan account has been opened and the amount of assets eligible to be rolled into a Roth IRA. To learn more about the requirements of a Roth IRA rollover, please see the Program Description.  To request a rollover to a Roth IRA, please submit the appropriate form to Achieve Montana. 

1 Earnings on non-qualified withdrawals are subject to federal income tax and may be subject to a 10% federal penalty tax, as well as state and local income taxes. The availability of tax or other benefits may be contingent on meeting other requirements. 
2 Section 529 defines a member of the family of the beneficiary as an individual who is related to the beneficiary as follows: a son, daughter, stepchild, or a descendant of any such person; a brother, sister, stepbrother, or stepsister; the father or mother, or an ancestor of either; a stepfather or stepmother; a son or daughter of a brother or sister; a brother or sister of the father or mother; a son-in-law, daughter-in-law, father-in-law, mother-in-law, brother-in-law, or sister-in-law; the spouse of the beneficiary or the spouse of any individual described above; or a first cousin of the beneficiary. Gift or generation-skipping transfer taxes may apply. Please consult with your tax advisor for further information.
3 Achieve Montana account owners who are Montana residents are entitled up to a yearly $3,000 deduction to adjusted gross income per taxpayer, in computing their Montana State income tax, or $6,000 for those married, filing jointly, based on contributions to Achieve Montana. Contributions may be subject to recapture in certain circumstances, such as a federal non-qualified withdrawal, a rollover to another state’s 529 plan, or a withdrawal from an account that was opened within one year prior to the date of the withdrawal, as described in the Program Description.(Recaptured Withdrawal). If the account owner is no longer a Montana resident at the time of a Recaptured Withdrawal, we may withhold the potential recapture tax from the Recaptured Withdrawal. The Montana Department of Revenue has not yet determined whether expanded K-12 Expenses or Credentialing Expenses are qualified expenses for Montana state income tax purposes.