What are the two types of 529 plans?
James Williams
Published Feb 11, 2026
There are two types of 529 plans: prepaid tuition plans and education savings plans. All fifty states and the District of Columbia sponsor at least one type of 529 plan. In addition, a group of private colleges and universities sponsor a prepaid tuition plan.
Can 529 plans be rolled over?
Yes, the IRS allows one tax-free rollover of a 529 account per beneficiary in a 12-month period. To roll over your current 529 account to The Vanguard 529 Plan (known as a direct rollover), you’ll first need to open a new account in the plan and select With a rollover or transfer when asked to pick a funding method.
How many times can you rollover 529?
Federal tax law allows you to roll over any or all of your 529 account from your current 529 plan to a different 529 plan, but only once in any 12-month period. (You can get around the 12-month restriction by naming a different family member as beneficiary of the 529 plan you are rolling into.)
What is the difference between 529 and 529A?
What is a 529A plan? Similar to a 529 college savings plan, a 529A plan allows you to save for a specific purpose. Instead of strictly using the money for education-related expenses — as would be required with a 529 college savings plan — you can use the money for disability-related expenses.
How long does a 529 rollover take?
With an indirect rollover, the 529 plan account owner withdraws money from the current 529 plan and deposits the funds into the new 529 plan within 60 days.
What’s the difference between a 529 rollover and a transfer?
Here’s a quick definition of each: 529 Rollover: The process of moving your 529 funds to a different plan (in a different state). 529 Transfer: The process of changing the beneficiary within your existing 529 plan. With a 529 plan, you’re allowed to change the beneficiary at any time to one of your beneficiary’s eligible relatives.
How to roll over a 529 plan to a Vanguard Plan?
To roll over your current 529 account to The Vanguard 529 Plan (known as a direct rollover), you’ll first need to open a new account in the plan and select With a rollover or transfer when asked to pick a funding method. Then print out your Incoming Rollover Form and mail it to your current plan. Open a Vanguard 529 Plan
Can a 529 plan be rolled into a prepaid tuition plan?
Parents who feel confident that at least one of their children will use prepaid tuition credits may decide to roll their investments out of an investment plan and into a prepaid tuition plan. That way they can lock in today’s college prices even if their child won’t graduate for another seven or eight years.
Can a 529 plan be used across state lines?
For example, robo-advisor Wealthfront has a 529 plan (a state of Nevada plan) that makes it easy for contributors to save and invest on behalf of others. Parents who move across state lines may end up with two or more 529 plan accounts for each child. Managing a single 529 account is much easier and can make a lot of sense.