529 Education Savings Gifting Programs Soar into Holiday Season, says College Savings Foundation

Nonprofit members report double-digit 529 gifting growth, driven by digital access, grandparent giving and employer programs 

WASHINGTON, Nov. 12, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- 529 Education savings gifts are roaring into holiday season lifted by the popularity of digital gifting and a strong trend across the country in multigenerational saving for a child's future.

College Savings Foundation (CSF) reported $950-million in gifting assets among its members across the country for the first three quarters of 2026. To help families explore the gifting programs best for them, CSF posted its annual roundup of 529 education gifting programs representing national and state 529 plans on its 2026-27 interactive U.S. map of member gifting programs.

This year many 529 gifting programs saw double-digit increases in 529 gifting assets year over year for the 12 months ending June 30, 2026, powered by several key trends. These included:

• Digital access puts gifting at people's fingertips through personalized, secure codes, recurrent gifting options and community engagement.
• Grandparents are a leading source of growth in 529 gifting.
• Small but regular contributions reflect the broad reach of gifting programs.

"529 gifting programs let families know they are not alone in planning for a loved one's education future. Gifting brings family and friends into the savings journey, reinforcing the value of consistent contributions to achieve their education savings goals," said Chris McGee, Chair of CSF, a leading nonprofit helping families save for a lifetime of education. 

Underlying this growth in popularity is a fundamental shift in which parents and their children are motivated to ask for support. This was borne out by CSF's 2026 surveys of parents and high school students:

• 70% of parents said they would ask families or friends for contributions.
• 83% of teenagers said they want their parents to offer gift givers a link to a 529 gifting account.
• 76% of teens would rather receive money for education than material gifts.

Examples of innovative approaches to gifting:

GiftofCollege.com is a platform enabling gift contributions to any 529 or ABLE plan account and purchase and redemption of Gift of College^® e-gift cards. It continues to experience triple-digit year-over-year growth in gift contributions, along with a significant increase in use by employers of all sizes to welcome new additions to employees' families with Gift of College gift cards.

Backer, a national platform and app, launched 529 gifting on the Babylist registry this year, alongside traditional baby gifts. Backer's gifting volume grew 39% in Q3 2026 compared to a year earlier. "Parents are asking for college savings right next to the crib and the car seat," says CEO Jordan Lee. "Gifting is moving into the places families already are."

Oregon's Embark in addition to its own gifting platform and Gift of College gift cards, offers BottleDrop, allowing friends and family to contribute through can and bottle redemptions that are automatically added to Embark accounts.

Both Commonwealth Savers and Fidelity-managed programs experienced another use of community support of 529 gifting. In rare cases when a young beneficiary's parent or relative passes away, they have seen surviving family members enabling contributions to a child's 529 account. The use of a secure, personalized Gift ID offers private payment options for loved ones to support a child's future.

CSF members with gifting programs include the following, many with double-digit growth in gifting assets for the 12 months ending June 30, 2026 (note increases are rounded up to the percent where applicable):

GiftofCollege.com, a platform enabling gift contributions to any 529 or ABLE plan account and the purchase and redemption of Gift of College^® e-gift cards, continues to experience triple-digit year-over-year growth in gift contributions. Gift of College physical gift cards are available in denominations of $25 to $500 in retail stores across the U.S. Gift of College gift cards can also be purchased by employers to welcome new additions to employees' families and by nonprofits and other entities to provide scholarship awards and other forms of recognition.

Wisconsin's Edvest 529 direct-sold college savings plan, managed by TIAA-CREF, TFI and administered by the State of Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions, saw a 63% increase in gifting assets YOY (a/o 6/30/26), using Ugift®. It has achieved 175% growth over five years. While parents are the most active participants, a significant trend is people other than parents using the Ugift® platform. 

Bright Start 529 (Illinois), managed by TIAA, saw a 60% increase in gifting assets YOY (a/o 6/30/26). Account owners can share a child's unique Ugift® code through the secure website via email, include on invitations, through social media, or the ReadySave529 app via email or text. Gift givers can create a profile to view gift history and set up recurring gifts. Parents are the top users of the program, followed by grandparents, who are also the greatest source of gifting growth.

NJBEST and Franklin Templeton 529 (New Jersey) gifting programs increased by 57% in gifting assets, and 25% in numbers of accounts accepting gifts, YOY (a/o 6/30/26) using Ugift529.com, and gift cards. Gifting within the plans has grown by 188% in the last five years. Recurring gifts are a key trend and grandparents are the leading source of gifting growth. The plan's most important value is reinforcing for plan holders that they don't have to save for a loved one's future alone. 

Fidelity-managed gifting programs were up 40% in assets and up 34% in accounts YOY (a/o 6/30/26). These include UNIQUE College Investing Plan; MEFA U. Fund College Investing Plan; AZ529 Arizona's Education Savings Plan; DE529 Delaware Education Investing Plan, and The Connecticut Higher Education Trust (CHET) 529 College Savings Program. A unique URL leads giftors to a landing page for the 529 account, where gifts can be made via e-check, Gift of College gift cards and other methods. A key trend is an increase in smaller-dollar gifts, reflecting broad participation in 529 gifting.

Alaska 529 and T. Rowe Price 529, both managed by T. Rowe Price, offer account owners access to Ugift®, an online gifting platform that allows friends and family to contribute directly to a beneficiary's 529 account. For the year ending June 30, 2026, gifting contributions increased year over year by 40% for Alaska 529 and by 39% for T. Rowe Price 529, highlighting the growing role of gifting in helping families save for future education expenses.

Michigan Education Savings Program (MESP) managed by TIAA-CREF TFI; Michigan Advisor Plan (MAP) managed by TIAA/Nuveen; and Michigan Education Trust (MET) are administered by the State of Michigan. MESP and MAP offer the Ugift® platform and were up 39% in gifting assets YOY (a/o 6/30/26). Parents are top users, followed by grandparents; and grandparents are top sources of growth, followed by new parents.

The Maryland College Investment Plan, managed by T. Rowe Price, saw a 34% increase in gifting contributions YOY (a/o 6/30/26). Through Ugift®, account owners can invite family and friends to contribute directly to a beneficiary's education savings account, turning gifts for birthdays, holidays and other special occasions into meaningful investments in a child's future. 

MEFA U. Fund College Investing Plan (Massachusetts) saw a 34% increase in gifted assets and a 24% increase in gifting accounts year over year (as of 6/30/26). The program has grown 86% over the past five years, and 64% of all accounts have received at least one gift. In addition to Fidelity's gifting pages, gift-givers can contribute through Gift of College Cards, available at mefa.org/giftcard, and at CVS, Cumberland Farms, Stop & Shop, and 7-Eleven locations across Massachusetts. A notable trend is the increase in smaller-dollar gifts, reflecting broader participation in 529 gifting and expanding use across income levels. One grandparent celebrated every new baby tooth by making a $100 contribution to their grandchild's 529 account.

Wisconsin's Tomorrow's Scholar advisor-sold college savings plan, managed by Voya Investment Management and administered by the State of Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions had a YOY increase of 33% in gifting assets and 20% in accounts (a/o 6/30/26). Account owners can set up a personalized gifting page and have the option to set a goal, then share that page with family and friends via email or social media. The program has seen increased gifting for special occasions or holidays, with parents, and increasingly grandparents and new parents, participating in education savings.

Embark, Oregon's direct-sold 529 plan managed by Vestwell, was up 32% in gifting assets and 13% in accounts, YOY (a/o 6/30/26). Gifting can be done on the Vestwell Gifting Platform, Gift of College gift cards, and the innovative BottleDrop, allowing friends and family to contribute through can and bottle redemptions that are automatically added to Embark accounts. A key trend is the ability to tailor email messages to the specific needs of the family. 

Utah's my529 is under the oversight of the Utah Education Savings Board of Trustees. my529 increased gifting assets by 31% and accounts by 26% YOY (a/o 6/30/26), and it achieved 155.9% growth over last five years. Its gifting platform enables contributions via debit card and credit card as a key benefit, as well as ACH or check. Grandparents are the top participants in gifting use and growth, with other relatives second.

Minnesota 529 College Savings Plan, managed by TIAA, uses Ugift® and has seen a 30% increase in gifting assets YOY (a/o 6/30/26), with an increase in gifting on special occasions, such as holidays, birthdays and graduations.

Georgia's Path2College 529 Plan, managed by TIAA, using Ugift®, was up 29% YOY as of 6/30/2026.

ScholarShare 529, managed by TIAA for California, using Ugift®, was up 26% in gifting assets and up 17% in number of accounts YOY (a/o 6/30/26). The program has grown by 90% in the last five years. Most significant trend: Greater adoption of digital payment systems globally.

PA 529 College and Career Savings Program, managed by Pennsylvania Treasury/Ascensus, saw a 24% increase in gifting assets and 14% in accounts YOY (a/o 6/30/26). PA 529 has achieved a growth rate of 160% over the last 5 years; and 89% of total accounts have received at least one gift. Contributions can be made online via Ugift® and through Gift of College, which allows gifters to purchase PA 529 gift cards online or at Turkey Hill and CVS stores, with more to follow. Grandparents are the top users and sources of growth, followed by parents and friends. 

Commonwealth Savers Plan saw a 16% increase in gifting assets and 16% increase in accounts YOY (a/o 6/30/26) for its Invest529 gifting program. The Invest529 Gift Center, in partnership with financial platform Stripe, allows gift givers to use Apple Pay, Google Pay, and debit/credit cards for a seamless, secure and mobile-friendly experience. Account holders can add a gift contribution link to their baby shower registry, share it on social media, or send it directly to relatives. Direct gift contribution flow now accounts for 96% of Commonwealth Savers' gifting volume.

NC 529 Plan, managed by College Foundation, Inc., with gifting available on the Backer platform and app, achieved a 16% increase in gifting assets and a 30% increase in accounts YOY for the year ending 6/30/26. It takes Apple Pay, Google Pay, debit and credit cards and more. Recurring gifts are the fastest-growing part of the program and the number of family members and friends giving on a recurring schedule grew 55%. 

Backer is a national platform that powers 529 gifting for the NC 529 Plan, Babylist, and broker-dealers including Bank of America / Merrill and Morgan Stanley. Backer saw gifting volume grow 39% in Q3 2026 compared to a year earlier, and gifts from family and friends now make up 63% of Backer contributions, up from 19% five years ago. Gifters can use a bank account, card, Google Pay, or Apple Pay, once or on a recurring schedule. Small gifts can add up to real college savings over time and families have saved more than $100 million toward their children's futures. 

Ohio 529 CollegeAdvantage, managed by the Ohio Tuition Trust Authority, was up 15% in gifting assets and up 14% in numbers of accounts YOY (a/o 6/30/26). It achieved 48% growth in the last five years. The plan accepts contributions via its 529 Gift Central, as well as Ugift® and Gift of College gift cards; and is seeing an increase in ACH gifts. Account owners can schedule reminder emails for birthdays, graduations and other life events. Grandparents are its top users and growth source, followed by friends.

VT529, Vermont's gifting program managed by Vestwell, saw a 15% increase in gifting assets and 64% increase in accounts YOY (a/o 6/30/26). Giftors can use the Vestwell Gifting Platform and Gift of College gift cards. Grandparents are the number one users and sources of growth; and the top occasion for gifting is "Just Because."

Quest529 Education Savings Plan (Kansas), managed by TIAA, uses the Ugift® platform, enabling friends and family to use the Ugift code to easily make gift contributions and share the code with others using Ugift's email, Facebook, X, or printed party invitation inclusions. Parents are the top users of gifting, and grandparents are the leading source of growth.

NEST 529 Education Savings, NEST 529 Advisor, Bloomwell 529 Education Savings, State Farm 529 (Nebraska). The GiftED Program is a gifting platform accessible through a mobile app as well as online portal. Friends and family can contribute online or mail their contributions in directly, and download a gift card and certificate to notify the beneficiary. Parents are top users, and new parents are the greatest source of growth, followed by grandparents.

New Mexico's Scholar's Edge and The Education Plan (TEP) each experienced increases this year with grandparents taking active roles in their grandchildren's education savings. With holiday gifting upon us, they are visiting shopping stroll events, featuring a wrapped gift with TEP and Ugift^® logos, and airing new radio/tv spots for a holiday gifting focus from 11/23 through 12/24.

IDeal - Idaho College Savings Program is governed by the State College Savings Program Board, with Program management by Ascensus College Savings, LLC. (ACS) Gift contributions can be made on Ugift®. Grandparents are the top users, and the leading sources of gifting growth, followed by other relatives. State tax deductions are a benefit, in addition to Federal tax advantages.

Indiana529, administered by the Indiana Education Savings Authority, makes gifting easy with Ugift^®.

NextGen529, Maine's gifting program, enables gifting by check or through Gift of College gift cards. If either the account owner or beneficiary is a Maine resident, gifts can be matched by 30%, up to a $300 grant per year, with Maine's annual NextStep Matching Grant.

CSF is a Washington, D.C.- based not-for-profit organization helping families achieve their education savings goals for a lifetime. www.collegesavingsfoundation.org

Media contact: Lynthia Romney, RomneyCom, [email protected] 914-589-2140

SOURCE The College Savings Foundation