For financial professionals For families For employees For students Tax advantages Features & benefits Dream, learn, save Year of enrollment portfolios Glide path strategy Target risk portfolios Individual portfolios Content library Calculators 529 plan comparison tool Contributions FAQs Contact us My account
Contact us My account
Home Dream, learn and save for your educational goals Achieving educational dreams

Achieving educational dreams

Achieving our educational dreams

A Scholar’s Edge 529 Plan can help provide you with the opportunity to plan for and achieve your education savings goals.

Download full presentation (PDF)
A happy little girl reading a book in a library. The Scholar's Edge Cube is next to her.

The benefits of higher education

Studies show that the higher the level of education achieved, the higher the average salary earned and lower the unemployment rate.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey, 2023. Salary reported as median weekly earnings, data was annualized.

A rising bar: Education costs remain high

College costs continue to rise over time. The average undergraduate cost is now over $24,000.

This trend is unlikely to reverse in the near future.

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. Digest of Statistics, 2023.

*Includes: tuition, fees, room & board. All institutions incudes two and four-year institutions, both public and private.

Note: Constant dollars based on the Consumer Price Index, prepared by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, adjusted to an academic-year basis. For public institutions, in-state tuition and required fees are used.

An impact to your wallet
Education costs compared to inflation

Over time, college costs have routinely outpaced inflation. As a result, education is taking a bigger piece of overall spending.

Source: Commonfund Institute: Higher Education Price Index (HEPI) 2024; U.S. Bureau Labor Statistics Unemployment Rate.

The education savings gap

People tend to underestimate how much they need to save for higher education expenses

What parents hope they’ve covered

Six dollar sign symbols representing 30%.

67%

of total future college cost

Source: Fidelity Study: Saving for College 2024.

Don’t forget, tuition is just the tip of the iceberg

Room and board, books, laptops and clubs should be factored into any budgeting discussions about education

Source: CollegeBoard, Trends in College Pricing 2024.

Based on public four-year, out-of-state, on-campus post-secondary education costs.

Financial aid is getting harder to come by

While costs continue to increase, the pool of alternative financial aid is decreasing.

Source: College Board Trends in College Pricing and Student Aid 2024.

Scholarships help, but they only cover a fraction of education costs

Average four year scholarship amounts

Athletics scholarship

$18,013

4 year average

Merit based scholarships

$12,088

4 year average

Need based scholarships

$3,960

4 year average

  • Remember, if a child earns a scholarship, the account owner can always transfer their 529 savings to another eligible family member.
  • The account owner can also withdraw the amount of the scholarship but will be required to pay income tax on the earnings portion of withdrawal.

Learn

It’s easier to achieve educational goals with the right planning. Learn the advantages of a 529 plan and how it can be used to benefit you.

Save

Investing in education savings now can help shape the future. Save for education with an experienced financial professional.

Start saving today

Dream big. Learn more. Save for the future.

Take the first step in securing your loved one’s education today with the Scholar’s Edge 529 Plan.

Take the first step
Two teenagers in graduation caps and gowns holding the Scholar's Edge cube.