Saving enough for college might seem impossible but families like yours are doing it every day. Like you, these families had lots of questions along the way and that’s why we’re here—to help you get started with your college planning.

It only takes two steps, so you can begin today. First, choose the investment option for your account, you can always change them later. And two, open your account online. Let’s get started

Plan Details

The Direct Portfolio Plan is our most popular and you can open your account online in just minutes. You can open your account(s) with as little as $25 and make additional contributions for a minimum of $15. You can contribute by check, automatic investment, direct deposit, electronic bank transfer, or rolling over assets from another qualified educational savings vehicle.

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Online Enrollment
You can open your account online in just minutes. Enrollment is free.

Access 24/7
As a CollegeInvest Direct Portfolio account owner you enjoy 24-hour access to your account to view your statements, submit contributions electronically, maintain your account, and download or request account maintenance forms. If you have multiple accounts you can view them all at once.

You can also choose to receive email notifications when your account statements and transaction confirmations are available online. Sign up now and stay on top of your goals!

Direct Portfolio requires two-factor authentication each time you login for enhanced account security. When you open your account (or login to an existing account) you will see the prompt and easy-to-follow instructions to securely access your information.

Low Minimum Investment
You can start with as little as $25 and contribute whenever you want. The minimum for each additional contribution is only $15. You can contribute by check, automatic investment, direct deposit, electronic bank transfer, or rolling over assets from other qualified college savings vehicles.

High Account Maximum
You can contribute on behalf of a student until the total balance of all CollegeInvest 529 plan accounts held for the same beneficiary reaches an aggregate maximum balance of $400,000.

Low Fees (Effective July 1, 2018)
Colorado Residents: the asset-based management fee is 0.34%.

Out of State Residents: the asset-based management fee is 0.34% plus a $20 annual account maintenance fee unless you have elected electronic delivery of all Plan documents, or the account balance is over $10,000.

Tax Benefits
Your savings grow tax-deferred as long as they remain in your account. If you are a Colorado taxpayer, your contributions can be deducted dollar for dollar from your Colorado taxable income. (Anyone can contribute directly to your Direct Portfolio account, and if they are a Colorado taxpayer they receive the same benefit on their personal Colorado taxable income.)*

Opportunity to Earn Free Money for College
Take advantage of Upromise®, a service that returns a percentage of your eligible spending at hundreds of America’s leading companies and can transfer that money periodically to your plan account.

* Contributions are deductible from Colorado income taxes in the tax year of the contribution, up to your Colorado taxable income that year. Such deductions are subject to recapture for non-qualified withdrawals.

Investment Options

Choosing an investment option that fits your family’s budget and specific investment strategy is important. Since your family is unique, we offer eleven different 529-investment options ranging from conservative to aggressive. Choose from Age-Based options, managed by a professional, or select your own investments with our Blended and Individual options.

View Age-Based Investment Options

View Blended and Individual Investment Options

Investment Management by Vanguard

When you choose the CollegeInvest Direct Portfolio College Savings Plan, you gain the expertise of Vanguard, one of the world’s largest and most trusted investment management companies.

Vanguard offers you an impressive package: time-tested investment principles, client-focused values, and costs that are among the lowest in the mutual fund industry. Vanguard focuses on attaining superior long-term performance for investors rather than chasing the latest market fad.

All of these factors work together to help you reach your savings goals.

Investment returns are not guaranteed and you could lose money, including principal, by investing in these options.

Frequently asked questions about Direct Portfolio:

How much am I going to need?

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You don’t need much to get started, only $25 when you enroll and subsequent contributions can be as little as $15.

The total amount you save completely depends on your family’s goals and resources. A common goal is to save enough to cover one-third the total cost of college for your student. The earlier you tackle saving for college the better off you’ll be in the end, and the best time to start is now.

Am I going to lose this money if I don’t use it for college?

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What if my student gets a scholarship, or decides not to go to college? 529 Plans are very flexible and you have several options.

You can simply hold on to the funds in case the circumstances change.
You can always change the beneficiary to another family member with no impact to your savings. Even naming yourself, or your spouse as the beneficiary and use it go back to school. Or, a lifetime opportunity such as culinary, art, or music classes; oceanography or special interest studies; here in the United States or abroad.
In the case where the student receives a scholarship, your Direct Portfolio savings can be used to cover other qualified expenses not covered by that specific scholarship.
Or you can withdraw the funds and close the account altogether but the earnings will be subject to federal and state income taxes in addition to a 10% federal penalty. They may also be subject to recovery for any previous state income tax deductions you exercised.

How much do I need to know about investing to manage a college savings account?

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Some types of investments can be managed for you, like age-based options where your funds are automatically moved toward more conservative investments as your student ages toward going to college.

But it’s also good to have some basic investing knowledge—it’s not hard to learn, and it will help you save for any goal. We’ll teach you the few important things you need to understand.

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