Gifting to college savings made easy

With a Bright Start 529 account, anyone can make a gift of account contributions to your child’s college education. From grandparents and other family members to friends and neighbors, everyone can get in on helping your child reach their goals.

529 fact

Contributions make the perfect gift for special occasions like birthdays or holidays.

Ugift®

Ugift offers a convenient way to give, receive and make special contribution requests. Log in to your account to begin.

Instead of the usual gift items, contribute to your loved one’s Bright Start 529 account. With Bright Start 529, giving is simple and straightforward.

How to ask for gifts digitally

With Ugift, you get a free, easy, secure way to ask friends and family for gift contributions.

  1. After you have opened and set up online access for your Bright Start 529 account, select the Ugift link from the "My Accounts" page.
  2. Once you are on the "Ugift" page, a unique Ugift code will be provided for each account.
  3. Friends and family can use your Ugift code at any time to easily make gift contributions at Ugift529.com.
  4. You can share your Ugift code using Ugift’s email, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter) or printed party invitation inclusions.

Account owners will receive confirmation of any contributions made to their account.

Giving a gift by mail

You can also send and receive gifts by U.S. mail. Simply download the
Additional Contribution Form and follow the steps.

Legacy and estate planning

Gifting larger amounts to a Bright Start 529 account is a unique opportunity to support your loved one’s college education and contribute to your personal investments.

How do 529 plans work for legacy and estate planning?

For the tax year 2024:

  • There’s no federal gift tax on contributions you make up to $18,000 per year if you’re a single filer or $36,000 if you’re a married couple.
  • You can also accelerate your gifting with a lump-sum gift of $90,000 if you’re a single filer or $180,000 if you’re married and prorate the gift over five years per the federal gift tax exclusion.
  • You can gift this amount to as many individuals or beneficiaries as you like, free from income tax.

What are the federal estate and gift tax benefits?

Contributions to a Bright Start 529 account may help reduce the taxable value of your estate.

Are there state tax benefits for giving to a Bright Start 529 account?

Illinois taxpayer gifts may be eligible for the state tax deduction.

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

  • Compare investment portfolios

    We make it easy to choose investment portfolios that fit your financial needs and savings goals.

    Discover your options

  • Ready to get started?

    Open an Account