Parents, if you have a student starting college this fall and you’ve saved money for college in a 529 plan, you’ll soon be faced with making a decision about how and when you’ll spend it. Should you try to spread that savings out over time while your student is in college? Or should you use what you’ve saved in the first semester or two?
Financial aid expert Mark Kantrowitz tackles this question in this column, “What is the best way to use 529 plan funds?” The details within the explanation might get a bit complex for those like me who don’t speak fluent finance, but hang in there until the end where he summarizes his recommendations.