For Account Owners
Resources for Existing Account Owners
Whether you're actively saving for your child's future education or you're ready to start using your account, you'll find the resources and insights you need to understand your plan's features and benefits. There are also tools that help you see if you’re on track to reach your college savings goals, and more.
Maryland College Investment Plan
We've made it easier than ever for you to access all the information you need, whether you are actively saving for your child's future education or you are ready to start taking distributions from your account.
Account Distributions
Ready to take a distribution?
Whether your child has chosen to attend a university or a trade school, locally or out-of-state, we have the information you need to help you to take a withdrawal from your Maryland College Investment Plan account.
- Directly to your school or institution
- Electronic transfer to a verified bank account
- Check to the account owner or beneficiary
Automate Your Savings
Your College Investment Plan account offers an easy way to help build your savings for your child's future education, whether it be for college, apprenticeships, or trade schools.
By setting up recurring contributions, you have one less thing to worry about each month and this savings method can help you make consistent progress towards your long-term goals. As an added "bonus," you could be on your way to hitting the annual $2,500 per beneficiary Maryland State income subtraction for this calendar year.
- Choose a contribution amount that fits your budget. Start with as little as $25 per month.
- Increase or decrease contribution amounts at any time.
- Contribute automatically from your bank account or through payroll deductions (if offered by your employer).
- Set up an annual automatic increase to your recurring contributions to boost your savings.
- Eliminate the need to write checks or mail contribution slips.
- Potentially reduce your overall average cost of investing.*
Log In to Your Account
You must have a Maryland College Investment Plan account to automate your savings with recurring contributions.
Choose Beneficiary Account
Select the account that you would like to apply the recurring contribution.
Select "Manage Recurring Contributions" From Your Beneficiary's Dashboard
Choose the amount and frequency of your contributions.
Saving Now Can Make a Big Difference Later
This chart shows the potential growth of recurring contributions made into your College Investment Plan account over time.
Assumes recurring contributions made at the end of each month, 6% hypothetical rate of return compounded monthly, and a 0.05% annual program management fee. This chart is for illustrative purposes only and does not predict or project the return of any specific investment option. Investment returns in the Maryland College Investment Plan will vary and may be higher or lower than in this example. An actual investment may assess fees or other charges that should be considered prior to investing. A recurring contribution does not assure a profit or protect against loss in declining markets.
Are You Making the Most of the Tax Benefits Available to You?
The State of Maryland offers an income subtraction of up to $2,500 per year, per beneficiary in the College Investment Plan in that calendar year.**
Learn MoreRollovers
Rollovers to the Maryland College Investment Plan are accepted from other qualified 529 plans, including the Maryland Prepaid College Trust.
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1Verify whether the funds are eligible for a rollover to the Maryland College Investment Plan with your current 529 provider/manager, and review requirements for processing a rollover.
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2Open your Maryland College Investment Plan account.
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3Complete the Rollover Form.
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4Mail the completed Rollover Form to the address listed on the form. Your rollover should be processed and completed within a few weeks.
Gifting
For Account Owners
Friends and family can give a contribution in lieu of gifts, any time of the year—birthdays, holidays, or just because, gift givers have an opportunity to give a gift that will last a lifetime, the gift of education.
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To access Ugift® and your beneficiary's unique Ugift® code, simply log in or download the ReadySave™ 529 mobile app.
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Share your Ugift® code with others via email and social channels, text or share your code over the phone, or include the code on printed invitations.
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Automatically track gifts received.
Log in to your account and click on Ugift. Go to "See Ugift history" to find gift activity, including the name of the gift giver (if provided), the amount of the gift, and the gift's status.
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No fees.
Neither the College Investment Plan account owner nor the gift giver has to pay any fees for using Ugift. The entire amount of the gift will be deposited into the student's account.
Download the ReadySave™ 529 mobile app today
Did you know making a gift to a Maryland 529 account offers a unique Maryland State income subtraction?
Maryland taxpayers are eligible for an annual Maryland State income subtraction on contributions of up to $2,500 per account, or per beneficiary, depending on what plan you choose - even if it's not your own.
For Gift Givers
Conveniently and securely give a gift the way you want.
Friends and family can easily send a gift by mail or secure electronic transfer using a unique Ugift® code. All funds will go directly into your child's College Investment Plan account.
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Ask the Maryland College Investment Plan account owner to send you a secure code to the gift recipient's profile. With the beneficiary's Ugift code, making a gift contribution is simple and easy.
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Set up a gifting profile so that you can easily send recurring gifts.
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Another gifting option to consider is to Open an Account for the gift recipient. Learn More about the Maryland College Investment Plan.
If you're looking to contribute a gift with a check, ask the account owner to send you a secure code to the gift recipient's profile. Follow the instructions. You will not have to create a gifting profile. Simply select the option to download the form that will be pre-filled with the account owner and beneficiary name to mail in your check.
You can also send in contributions at any time by check if you are not using Ugift®.
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Make the check payable to Ugift - Maryland College Investment Plan.
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The account number must be included with the contribution so it's linked to the correct account.
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Include a note with your name so that when the account owner views their 529 account online, your name will display next to the amount of your gift.
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Checks should be mailed to:
Ugift - Maryland College Investment Plan
PO BOX 55913
Boston, MA 02205-5913
Ugift® is a registered service mark of Ascensus Broker Dealer Services, LLC.
Investment Plan Account Forms
Need to make a change to your account? Search the list below to find and download the right form for you.
Need to update your account?
Don't forget, you can update your contact information, request contributions, distributions, or exchanges, add or update banking information, or sign up for paperless services, anytime, just by logging into your account.
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Account Application
Please review the Plan Disclosure Statement before completing the form.
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Account Application for an Entity Account
Please review the Plan Disclosure Statement before completing the form.
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Rollover Form
Request a rollover from another 529 savings plan.
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Maryland State Contribution Program Application
The 2024 application period is now closed. The 2025 application period will open January 1, 2025.
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Profile Change Form
Make changes to contact information, Successor designation, or add an Interested Party.
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Account Features Form
Make changes to contact information, bank information, recurring contributions, or add/change banking information for electronic funds transfers (EFT).
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Transfer Form
Change the account owner and/or beneficiary on your account.
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Distribution Request Form
Request a distribution from your account.
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Rollover to Roth IRA Form
Request a rollover from your account to the beneficiary's Roth IRA.
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Transfer Due to Death Form
Complete a transfer to a new account owner/custodian due to the death of the original account owner/custodian.
*Monthly contributions involve a process called dollar cost averaging. Investing a constant dollar amount, also known as dollar cost averaging, cannot assure a profit or protect against loss in a declining market. Since this involves continuous investment in securities regardless of fluctuating price levels, investors should consider their financial ability to continue purchases through periods of low and high price levels.
**If you receive a State contribution for any account in a given year, you are not eligible in that year for the income subtraction on your State taxes for contributions that you made to that or any other Maryland College Investment Plan account. You should check with your tax professional regarding your specific situation.
The availability of tax benefits may be conditioned on meeting certain requirements, such as residency, purpose for or timing of distributions, or other factors as applicable. Please consult with a tax professional regarding your specific situation.
Earnings on a distribution not used for qualified expenses may be subject to income taxes and a 10% federal penalty. State tax laws and treatment may vary. Please check with your state or a tax professional regarding the specific tax rules for your state.
An Important Prepaid College Trust Update from Treasurer Davis: As of June 1, 2023, the Maryland Prepaid College Trust is no longer accepting new enrollments.
Maryland Prepaid College Trust
Whether you're ready to use your Prepaid College Trust account or just need additional information, here are some helpful resources for our account holders.
Prepaid College Trust Earnings Rate Decision
Access the latest updates and frequently asked questions pertaining to the Maryland Prepaid College Trust earnings rate decision.
Benefits Claims
To claim benefits, log in to your account and follow these steps:
- Enter the information from the student's invoice detailing the tuition and mandatory fees charges.
- Upload a copy of the invoice and any other required documents for our records.
When we receive your request, we will verify and process the benefits claim payment to your requested recipient in a minimum of three business days. An electronic confirmation of the transaction will be shown on the screen and automatically generated. Usage history will also be accessible 24/7 via the online portal.
Maryland Prepaid College Trust FAQs
You can use your Maryland Prepaid College Trust benefits to pay for a full-time (or half-time) course load for the number of semesters or years of undergraduate education specified in the tuition plan purchased. Excess benefits can go towards room and board, and other qualified higher education expenses (e.g. books, supplies, fees, etc.).
You can start using your benefits beginning with the fall semester of the Projected Enrollment Year (PEY) you have purchased; however, the Prepaid College Trust contract must be in effect for at least three years before benefits will be paid.
Benefits Payable
Maryland Public Colleges: If your beneficiary attends a Maryland 4-year public college as a full-time student, we will pay the full in-state tuition for a University Plan. If your beneficiary attends a 2-year Maryland community college, we will pay the full in-county tuition for a Community College Plan.
Private or Out-of-State: If your beneficiary attends an eligible institution that is private or out-of-state as a full-time student, we will pay the actual tuition each semester (or the equivalent) up to a maximum of one half of the weighted average tuition in the tuition plan you purchased or your minimum benefit, whichever is greater. If your tuition for the private or out-of-state eligible institution is less than the weighted average tuition, you will only receive the tuition. If tuition is less than your minimum benefit however, you may submit documentation of qualified higher education expenses and receive reimbursement up to your minimum benefit.
Summer/Winter Courses: In order to use benefits for summer/winter term courses, you must have excess benefits and your beneficiary must be enrolled on at least a half-time basis as defined by the college.
The WAT is calculated as follows: for 4-year eligible Institutions — dividing (A) the in-state tuition at each 4-year Maryland public college multiplied by the number of full-time equivalent in-state students enrolled at such 4-year Maryland public college, added together by (B) the total number of full-time equivalent in-state students enrolled at all 4-year Maryland public colleges. The WAT applicable to community colleges is calculated by a similar method using in-county tuition and enrollment.
The WAT for the 2024-2025 academic year is $11,127.12 for 4-year public colleges and $4,980.33 for community colleges.
- Log in to your Prepaid College Trust account
- Hover over the “Benefits” tab and select “Benefit Claims” from the drop down menu.
- Enter the information from the invoice detailing the tuition and mandatory fee charges for your student.
- Upload a copy of the invoice and any other required documentation for our records.
Once you submit your request, we will verify and then process the benefit claim payment to your requested recipient within five to seven business days.
The Trust will not pay for more than 15 credit hours for each semester (or the financial equivalent). The Trust will pay for a maximum of two semesters of mandatory fees (or the equivalent) for each year of benefits purchased for a beneficiary. If tuition, fees, or qualified higher education expenses are more than the benefits paid under your contract, you or your beneficiary is responsible for the difference.
Minimum benefits means payments duly made under your contract, minus operating expenses, plus a certain rate of return. See Article V - benefits of the disclosure statement for further details on your minimum benefit calculation.
If the total of tuition at an eligible institution is less than the minimum benefit, you may use the difference to pay for other qualified higher education expenses such as room and board and books.
A Medallion Signature Guarantee is a legally binding endorsement that ensures that your signature is genuine and that the financial company issuing the guarantee accepts liability for any forgery. MedallionSignature Guarantees can be obtained from some banks, savings institutions, and broker-dealers. While the State Treasurer's Office reserves the right to require a Medallion Signature Guarantee at any time, it must be included on applicable forms in the following instances:
- for all refund requests;
- for payment requests of $25,000 or more;
- when there is a request to send a check to an address not on file
As of June 1, 2023, prior to using any benefits and subject to the limitation described below, you may convert your contract from one tuition plan to a different tuition plan. Upon each request for a contract conversion, the contract will be revalued to determine whether additional contract payments would be required or if a refund should be made. Only conversions that do not result in the payment of additional contract amounts will be allowed to proceed.
Please be advised that a conversion may have tax consequences. Please consult with your tax professional for specific details.
To convert you plan to another type, complete section 7 and 9 of the Account Maintenance Form and log in to your account to upload the completed form for processing.
After we've processed your documents (typically up to 5 - 7days after submission), you can check your benefits payment information in just three clicks:
- Log in to your online account
- Select the Benefits tab
- Select Claims History
Additionally, you will receive an email confirmation when your request is submitted and the issued benefits claims payment will be sent to your requested recipient along with a stub confirming the principal and earnings information.
Maryland taxpayers receive a maximum $2,500 subtraction from their Maryland adjusted gross income annually per account for payments made to the Prepaid College Trust. Payments made in excess of $2,500 per account in a single year may be carried forward and subtracted from your Maryland adjusted gross income in consecutive future years until the full amount contributed to the account has been subtracted, subject to the $2,500 annual limit.
Any Maryland taxpayer, including yourself as the account holder, along with other individuals such as a relative or a friend, who make contributions to your Account may be eligible to take the income subtraction. Consult with your tax professional.
For additional information, please refer to www.marylandtaxes.gov.
When you are ready to rollover you must:
- Verify whether the funds are eligible for a rollover to the Maryland College Investment Plan by contacting Maryland 529 and review requirements for processing a rollover.
- Open your Maryland College Investment Plan account.
- Complete the Rollover Form.
- Mail the completed Rollover Form to the address listed on the form. Your rollover should be processed and completed within a few weeks.
Please note that the account owner on the Prepaid College Trust account must be the same as the account owner on the College Investment Plan account.
To request a refund, you must fill out a Refund Request Form and upload it to your online account. If you have not already registered your account, you must do so first to upload your form(s).
If you would like to change the account holder for your Maryland Prepaid College Trust (MPCT) account, you will need to fill out an Account Maintenance Form and upload it to your online account. (Please complete Section 4 of the form.)
Please note, if you wish to change the account holder, this process must be completed first. Once the new account holder is established, they can then proceed with any refund requests.
Prepaid College Trust Documents and Forms
Need to make a change to your Account? Search the list below to find and download the right form for you.
Important Plan Documents
Complete it Online
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Register or link your Prepaid College Trust account for online access.
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Update demographic information for the account holder or beneficiary.
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Make a one time payment or manage recurring automatic monthly payments.
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Request or view the payoff amount for your account.
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Download or view a remittance statement/payment coupon for your account.
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Verify the eligibility of the benefits in your account.
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View or submit a benefit claim on your account.
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View the WAT rates and/or FASFA value of your account.
Upload a Form
Print the form then upload it to your Account.
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Change a SSN, name, or date of birth on your account.
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Change the account holder of your account.
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Manage the account holder's successor of your account.
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Manage the rights to information on your account.
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Request a refund for your account.
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Recontribute benefits back to your account.
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Initiate a rollover from another qualified tuition program.
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Initiate a rollover to a beneficiary's IRA account.
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Verify the status of an entity account holder.