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Save4College State Contribution Program

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Thank you for your interest. The 2022 application period is now closed. The 2023 application period will open January 1, 2023.

What's new for 2022?

Effective January 1, 2022, Beneficiaries must be under the age of 26 years in the calendar year before the Account Holder submits an application, and now both the Account Holder and the Beneficiary must be a Maryland resident. Additionally, income verification will be based on the Account Holder's Maryland adjusted gross income rather than their Maryland taxable income. Reminder that if the Account Holder files a Maryland tax return, they must file by July 15 in order to be eligible for consideration of the State Contribution, regardless of other filing extensions that may be available.

UPDATE: During the legislative session, the General Assembly passed a bill requiring an Account Holder to be at least 18 years old for applications filed on or after January 1, 2022. This bill is currently awaiting action by the Governor.

How do I apply?

Simply log in to your Maryland College Investment Plan Account and select Apply Now to get started. You can also download and print an application.

If you need to open a Maryland College Investment Plan (MCIP) Account to apply, click here.

Note: Be sure to complete the Program’s eligibility requirements. In accordance with the Maryland Code, the Maryland 529 Board is required to verify the income level you provided. Please see additional details below.

How does it work?

Saving for college is a challenge for many families. The State of Maryland and Maryland 529 want to help make it easier for your child’s dream of attending college to come true. The Save4College State Contribution Program is designed to help lower to middle-income families in Maryland save money for higher education. Your savings can be used at nearly any public, private, or technical college nationwide—and even international universities that have a federal school code—for eligible Qualified Education Expenses such as tuition, fees, room and board, etc.

To be eligible, the following requirements must be met:

Account Holder must:

  • Be a Maryland resident
  • Have adjusted gross income that does not exceed $112,500 as an individual or $175,000 as a married couple filing jointly (based on the previous taxable year)
  • If filing taxes in Maryland, file taxes by July 15
    • The July 15 deadline is regardless of other tax-deadline extensions that may be available in Maryland
    • This does not revise the normal State deadline of April 15
  • Have not received $9,000 in prior State contributions
  • Make the minimum contribution to the applied-for Account(s) no later than November 1.

Beneficiary must:

  • Be a Maryland resident
  • Be under the age of 26 years in the calendar year before the Account Holder submits an application
    • Example: For the 2022 application year, the Beneficiary is eligible if they are 25 years old or younger on December 31, 2021

General requirements:

  • The Maryland College Investment Plan Account for which you apply must have been opened after December 31, 2016
    • If you have a closed/zero balance account (for more than 24 months) and open a new Account for the same Beneficiary, you may apply for the Maryland Save4College State Contribution Program for that Account.
  • Only 1 application per Account Holder/Beneficiary relationship can be submitted
  • A Beneficiary may only receive 2 State contributions in any year
  • All applications must be submitted by 11:59 pm on May 31
Maryland Adjusted Gross Income
Individual Joint Minimum Contribution State Contribution
$49,999 or less $74,999 or less $25 $500
$50,000 - $87,499 $75,000 - $124,999 $100 $500
$87,500 - $112,500 $125,000 - $175,000 $250 $250

The Save4College State Contribution Program is subject to changes by the Maryland General Assembly.  If legislation is passed that would affect the current application period, updates will be posted here.

When Do I Need to Make a Contribution?

If you open an Account to apply for the Save4College State Contribution Program, the initial contribution requirement that generally applies to new Accounts will be waived. To be eligible to receive the State contribution, however, you must make the minimum contribution of $25, $100, or $250, based on your household income (as verified by the Office of the Comptroller of Maryland), no later than November 1. You must make the minimum contribution into the Account(s) in which you applied for the State contribution.

When Will I Receive the Money in My Account?

If the applicant is determined eligible and makes the required contribution no later than 11:59pm on November 1, and if the State provides program funding, State contributions will be received by December 31 of the calendar year in which the Account Holder made the contribution.

If you receive a State contribution for any Account in a given year, you are not eligible for the income deduction on your State taxes for contributions that you made to that or any other MCIP Account in that year. Current MCIP Account Holders who do not receive a State contribution, however, are still eligible to receive a Maryland income tax deduction of up to $2,500 per year, per Beneficiary for contributions made to the MCIP Account.

What if I Have Additional Questions?

Click here to access Frequently Asked Questions. You may also call 888.4MD.GRAD (888.463.4723) and select Option 1, or email info@marylandcollegeinvestmentplan.org.

Your Save4College State Contribution Program application is tied to the specific Account number for which you applied; therefore your application will NOT be automatically updated when you request a Beneficiary Change, Portfolio Change, or Distribution after submitting an application. It is important to note that Portfolio Changes and Beneficiary Changes produce a new Account number. If you request a Beneficiary Change, Portfolio Change or Distribution and wish to change the Account that will receive the State contribution, please contact us at 888.4MD.GRAD (463-4723) option 1.

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