JB Pritzker, Governor, State of Illinois

529 Benefits

529 plans are among the best ways to save for college. There are two types of plans, including college savings plans, such as Bright Start®, and prepaid tuition plans, such as College Illinois!®.

College savings plans allow you or your parents to save money for college in a strategically beneficial way—accumulating more and more money over time.

If they participated, prepaid tuition plans allowed your parents to prepay your tuition based on that year’s plan rates. College Illinois! enrollment has remained closed since 2017, as ISAC has engaged with legislators and the Governor’s office to help define proposals to address the Program’s unfunded liability. The Program continues to operate as usual for our current contract holders, with no change in benefit payments, customer service, or plan administration. Visit the College Illinois! Program Update page for current program information.

Talk with your parents to find out if they’ve invested in a 529 program for you.