Spoil them smarter

The trick to being the best grandparent? Saving for your grandchild’s future with a Bright Start 529 College Savings Plan.

529 Fact:

Planning for the future can come with perks, like a generous state income tax deduction.1

Toys won’t help pay for college—but you can

Give your grandchild a gift that can last. By opening a Bright Start 529 College Savings Plan account, you can invest in their future and help make college a reality. Grandparents just like you are saving with Bright Start 529 because it makes planning for higher education easier and offers a wide range of benefits to help meet your college savings needs.

Easy, flexible investing

Bright Start 529 account owners enjoy yearly tax benefits1 which, when combined with low fees, makes it a compelling investment option to save for higher education. Discover why Bright Start 529’s investment mix and flexibility make it easy to save for your grandchild’s education.

  1. Easy to set up, contribute to and manage regardless of your investment style.
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  2. Bright Start 529 is a highly regarded2 and versatile option for college savings.
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  3. Tax advantages like a generous state income tax deduction,1 tax-deferred earnings and tax-free withdrawals for qualified higher education expenses.3
    Benefits of Bright Start 529

Trusted by Illinois grandparents

It’s a family affair. We’ve all committed ourselves (to saving) for the next generation.

–Jerry Rzepka, Grandfather
Naperville, IL

Rzepka family story4

The Rzepkas have turned saving for college into a family affair with multiple generations working together to give the gift of higher education.

Before his grandchildren were even born, Jerry Rzepka had high hopes for what they would be when they grew up. The proud grandfather dreamed of all the opportunities waiting for them and imagined how he could help them along the way. When his daughter, Amy, was pregnant with her first child, Jerry turned his thoughts into actions and began researching college savings plans. It didn’t take long for him to find the Illinois Bright Start 529 College Savings Plan and encourage his daughter to open an account.

“I came across Bright Start and I did some research. I compared them to some other plans. Bright Start just seemed to check all the boxes for us. If there was something better out there, believe me, I'm kind of the person, we would be pursuing that.”

Today, his grandkids, Benjamin (8) and Samantha (6), each have their own Bright Start 529 account and the support of their entire family helping them save. Although the grandkids aren’t sure yet if they want to be teachers, video game creators or even work at the zoo, they do know they have a college savings fund ready to help them achieve their dream.

More to explore

  • Explore our plan

    Learn more about eligibility and all the qualifying education expenses a Bright Start 529 account can cover.

    How our 529 works

  • Give a gift

    Contribute to a Bright Start 529 account or request a gift through our Ugift® platform.

    Start gifting

  • Ready to get started?

    Open an Account