What does CollegeInvest offer?

Experts forecast that college tuition will continue to increase as much as 5-9% each year. That could mean hundreds of thousands of dollars if your child is very young right now.

Source: College Savings Foundation, Fidelity Investments, the Denver POST

But did you know that less than a third of college families pay 100% of the total costs of going to school?

Source: College Savings Foundation, FinAid, College Board

There are many options to achieve your specific goals, and through-out our website we provide you with lots of information to evaluate and make the choices that best fit your needs, including:

CollegeInvest 529 College Savings Plans

Our goal is to provide a variety of savings options to meet Colorado family needs regardless of your saving and investment preferences.

• We offer a 529 college savings program that uniquely qualifies for a Colorado state tax deduction¹
• We also offer Colorado's only FDIC-insured² 529 savings plan to make saving safe and easy
• Your 529 can be used anywhere in the country, not just in Colorado, at any eligible college, university, community college, trade or vocational school
• Your savings can be used for tuition, fees, certain room and board expenses, and required supplies
• And, you can open a CollegeInvest savings plan with as little as $25 and make regular contributions through automatic deposits

Low cost of entry, flexible and unique plans, multiple investment options, and varied contribution levels make 529s one of the best - and easiest - ways to save for college.
» See all of the CollegeInvest 529 College Savings Programs

Expert Information

We’ll expose you to articles, data, and trends in the area of college expenses and savings options. There are charts that compare the various savings options, including comparisons of our specific savings plans.

Quotes and references from industry experts, financial analysts, and tax advisors. The latest updates and changes in 529 savings program rules and tax benefits. Even testimonials from people such as yourself who have interest in saving for college, or have already started their savings plans and have tips to offer.

Tools, charts, guides and workbooks

Whether college is just around the corner, or you have several years to plan for it, CollegeInvest offers various tools to help plan and pay for college. Among them:

• Comparison Chart of College Savings Vehicles: 529 Savings Accounts, Coverdells, UTMA/UGMAs, savings bonds  … first, find out what they are and how they compare to others. Then determine what’s best for you.
• CollegeInvest 529 College Savings Plans Comparison Charts: You are unique. And so are all our plans. Find the one that’s the best match for you.
• Calculators to predict college costs: More effective than a Magic 8 Ball and just as easy to use this calculator will help estimate how much college will cost for your child.

The numbers may surprise you at first, even shock you! But you can use a number of variables to run several options that best fit your needs and goals. 

• Calculators to project savings: One savings planner will help you set your savings goals and estimate how much you'll need to save to help meet them. Another will allow you to set aside a budget on a regular basis, estimating how those funds could potentially accumulate by the time you need to use them.
• Calculators to estimate Colorado state tax deduction: Save on my taxes!?!? Yes indeed.
• Saving tips & tricks: Hints, ideas and advice from our experts to help you save more, and more often.
• Glossary: COF, ACG. All the acronyms and terms can leave anyone puzzled. We’ll help make sense of it all.
• Scholarship search tools: Free money! Need we say more? Start this search early!
• Education Cents (a financial literacy tool for everyone): The lessons in Education Cents will help you take control of your finances to reach your financial goals – and help you talk to your children and family about reaching theirs. Planning for education beyond high school is a part of that equation, either for yourself, your family or both!
• Education Cents Workbook: Make sense out of college financing with this handy workbook filled with worksheets and an abundance of information to help students and their families get on the right financial path.
• College In Colorado (a companion organization): This website is full of tools to help parents with students from middle school to college help determine things like financial aid availability, college planning timelines and preparing for ACT/SAT’s.
• Colorado Department of Higher Education (DHE): The DHE’s website offers handy tools to help with admission requirements, tuition and fees, exchange programs and other higher education resources you may need.

 ^¹ Contributions to the Plan(s) are deductible from Colorado state income tax in the tax year of the contribution, up to your Colorado taxable income for that year.  Such deductions are subject to recapture in subsequent years in which non-qualified withdrawals are made. 

 ^² Smart Choice College Savings Plans are not insured by CollegeInvest, the State of Colorado, or its agencies. However, these funds are FDIC-insured in accordance with the current FDIC coverage limits.

Important Considerations

To learn about CollegeInvest’s 529 program, its objectives, risks, charges, expenses, limitations, restrictions and qualifications regarding the Plans’ benefits and potential tax advantages, please read and consider carefully the Program Disclosure Statements (PDS) available at www.collegeinvest.org before investing. Also, check with your or your beneficiary’s home state to learn if it offers tax or other benefits for investing in its own plan. Administered and issued by CollegeInvest.