State Contribution Program | Maryland College Investment Plan

Thank you for your interest. The 2024 application period is now closed. The 2025 application period will open January 1, 2025.

How do I apply?

The Save4College State Contribution Program is designed to help lower to middle-income households 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 qualified eligible education expenses such as tuition, fees, room and board, etc.

Learn How to Apply

Before you apply, be sure to review eligibility requirements.

See Eligibility Requirements

Open a Maryland College Investment Plan Account

If you don't have a Maryland College Investment Plan account click below to open one.

Open an Account

2025 Application Period Opens January 1

The 2024 application period is now closed. The 2025 application period will open January 1, 2025.

Program requirements

How does it work?

Use the tabs to view the Save4College State Contribution Program eligibility requirements.

The following requirements must be met:

To be eligible you must meed these requirements in accordance with the Maryland Code. The Office of the Comptroller of Maryland is required to verify the adjusted gross income level (AGI) you provide.

The account owner must:

Be a Maryland resident
Be at least 18 years of age at the time of application
Have an adjusted gross income that does not exceed $112,500 for an individual, or $175,000 for married couples filing jointly (based on the previous taxable year)
Have not received $9,000 in prior State contributions
Make the minimum contribution to the applied-for account(s) no later than 11:59pm ET on November 1

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 and does not revise the normal State deadline of April 15.

The Beneficiary must:

Be a Maryland resident
Be under the age of 26 years in the calendar year before the account owner submits the application (e.g., during the 2024 application year, the beneficiary is eligible if they are 25 years old or younger on December 31, 2023).

General requirements:

The Maryland College Investment Plan account for which you apply must have been opened after December 31, 2016
Only one application per account owner/beneficiary relationship can be submitted
A beneficiary may only receive two State contributions in any year
All applications must be submitted by 11:59pm ET on May 31

If you are not eligible to apply for the Save4College State Contribution Program, you may still be eligible for an income subtraction from your Maryland taxable income up to $2,500 per year, per beneficiary, for contributions made to a Maryland College Investment Plan account. You should check with your tax professional regarding your specific situation. If you receive a State contribution for any account in a given year, you are NOT eligible to receive the income subtraction on your State taxes for contributions that you made to that or any other Maryland College Investment Plan account for that year.

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.

Maryland Adjusted Gross Income - Minimum Contribution

Maryland Adjusted Gross Income - Minimum Contribution
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

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 after submitting the application. If you request a beneficiary change and wish to change the account that will receive the State Contribution, please contact us at 1-888-4MD-GRAD (1-888-463-4723), option 1, or clientservice@maryland529.com.

FAQS

Learn More About the Save4College Contribution Program

To be eligible to receive the State contribution 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.

If the applicant is deemed eligible and makes the required contribution to the account no later than 11:59 pm on November 1 of the same year, State contributions will be received by December 31 of the calendar year in which the account owner made the contribution, contingent upon the State providing funding for the Program.

If you receive a State contribution for any account in a given year, you are not eligible for the income subtraction on your State taxes for contributions that you made to that or any other Maryland College Investment Plan account in that year. Current Investment Plan account owners who do not receive a State contribution, however, are still eligible to receive a Maryland income subtraction of up to $2,500 per year, per beneficiary for contributions made to the account.

Call 888.4MD.GRAD (463.4723) and select Option 1, or email clientservice@maryland529.com

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