The College Savings Podcast with Fexingo: 529 Plans, Education Funding, and Student Costs

Episode 107 of The College Savings Podcast with Fexingo dives into one of the most practical 529 updates in years: using leftover 529 funds to pay down a beneficiary's student loans, up to a lifetime limit of $10,000 per beneficiary. Lucas and Luna explain the rule's history from the SECURE Act of 2019, walk through a real example of a graduate with $28,000 in federal loans, and discuss the tax im...

Episode 106 of The College Savings Podcast dives into the specifics of using 529 plans for graduate school tuition. Lucas and Luna break down the difference between qualified and non-qualified expenses for master's, PhD, and professional degree programs, using concrete examples like MBA tuition caps and medical school fees. They discuss the 10,000 annual limit for K-12 but no cap for higher educat...

Episode 105 of The College Savings Podcast. Lucas and Luna explore a powerful but overlooked angle: using a 529 plan to fund the first two years at a community college before transferring to a four-year university. They break down the numbers on tuition savings, the rules around room and board, and how the strategy works with the American Opportunity Tax Credit. Lucas shares data on how one studen...

Episode 104 of The College Savings Podcast uncovers a costly mistake families make when paying for room and board with 529 funds. Lucas and Luna explain the 'qualified housing' rule, the receipt trap, and how the off-campus housing allowance must match the college's official cost of attendance (COA). They walk through a real case: a family in Texas who withdrew $18,000 for an off-campus apartment,...

Episode 103 of The College Savings Podcast breaks down a lesser-known use of 529 plans: funding registered apprenticeships and trade school programs that combine classroom instruction with on-the-job training. Lucas and Luna walk through the specific IRS rules that allow 529 funds to cover tuition, fees, materials, and even tools for apprenticeships in fields like electrical, plumbing, HVAC, and c...

In this episode of The College Savings Podcast, Lucas and Luna explore how 529 plans can be used to fund your child's study abroad program. They break down the specific rules: which programs qualify, what expenses count (tuition, room and board, airfare, insurance), and how to handle foreign currency and exchange rates. The hosts walk through a concrete example of a student spending a semester at...

Lucas and Luna explore how 529 plans can fund vocational and technical school tuition, from HVAC training to dental hygienist programs. They highlight the 2026 contribution limits, the difference between eligible and non-eligible programs, and a real-world example of a family using a 529 for a pipefitting apprenticeship. Learn how to verify program eligibility and avoid common pitfalls like using...

Episode 100 of The College Savings Podcast tackles a question that trips up many families: How do 529 plan contributions interact with the federal gift tax? Hosts Lucas and Luna break down the annual gift tax exclusion — currently $18,000 per person per beneficiary — and explain the special five-year election that lets grandparents front-load up to $90,000 without filing a gift tax return. They wa...

In this episode, Lucas and Luna break down the often-overlooked rules around changing the beneficiary on a 529 college savings plan. Using a real-world example of a family in Virginia whose older child received a full scholarship, they explain the tax implications, potential gift tax consequences, and how the SECURE Act expanded options. They also clarify the difference between a beneficiary chang...

Episode 98 of The College Savings Podcast tackles a practical question: can you use 529 plan funds to pay for your child's dorm room or off-campus apartment? Lucas and Luna break down the IRS rules on qualified room and board expenses, how the cost of attendance at a college sets the ceiling, and why paying rent directly to a landlord works differently than paying the school's housing bill. They w...

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore how 529 plans can be used to fund culinary school tuition and related expenses. They discuss the specific requirements for qualified institutions and programs, using the Culinary Institute of America as a concrete example. The hosts break down how room and board, equipment like chef knives and uniforms, and even study-abroad semesters for pastry arts can be...

In this episode of The College Savings Podcast, Lucas and Luna explore whether 529 plans can be used to pay for music school tuition — from conservatory programs at Berklee to music education degrees at public universities. They walk through the IRS rules on qualified expenses, the difference between degree programs and hobby lessons, and a real example of a family who used a 529 to cover their da...

Episode 95 of The College Savings Podcast explores how 529 plans can cover tuition and fees for accredited online degree programs. Lucas and Luna discuss the IRS rules, the importance of the school's accreditation status, and how to ensure your child's program qualifies. They walk through a concrete example: a student pursuing a bachelor's in computer science through Arizona State University's onl...

Episode 94 of the College Savings Podcast explores a less-known but fully qualified 529 expense: tuition, fees, room, and board at U.S. military service academies like West Point, Annapolis, and the Air Force Academy. Lucas and Luna walk through how 529 funds can cover costs even when the student receives a full military scholarship, using the example of the Naval Academy's $15,000 annual room-and...

In this episode of The College Savings Podcast, Lucas and Luna explore a lesser-known but powerful use of 529 plans: paying for K-12 private school tuition. They break down the federal rule change that made this possible, the annual contribution limits, and the state-level tax implications. Lucas walks through a concrete example of a family in New York saving $2,500 in state taxes per year by usin...

In this episode of The College Savings Podcast, Lucas and Luna explore using 529 plan funds for cosmetology school tuition. With more students pursuing careers in beauty and wellness, understanding the qualified expenses for licensed cosmetology programs is essential. Lucas breaks down the IRS rules that allow 529 funds to cover tuition at accredited cosmetology schools, including barber colleges,...

Lucas and Luna explore how 529 plans can cover the cost of wilderness therapy programs for struggling teens. They walk through the specific IRS criteria that allow these programs to qualify as a medical expense, including the requirement for a licensed healthcare provider's diagnosis and the need for the program to treat a diagnosed condition. Lucas breaks down the key numbers: eligible expenses l...

Episode 90 of The College Savings Podcast explores whether 529 plans cover coding bootcamps. Lucas and Luna break down the rules: what qualifies as an eligible educational institution, the difference between degree-granting and certificate programs, and how to check if a bootcamp is Title IV accredited. They also discuss the tax implications, the $10,000 limit for K-12, and the unlimited withdrawa...

In episode 89 of The College Savings Podcast, Lucas and Luna explore an often-overlooked 529 eligible expense: robotics camps and STEM summer programs. They discuss IRS rules, real-world examples like the FIRST Robotics tuition at Georgia Tech, and how to document payments properly. Plus, a breakdown of what counts as 'eligible educational institution' for camp-style programs and how to avoid non-...

Episode 88 of The College Savings Podcast explores how 529 plans can cover law school tuition. Lucas and Luna discuss the specific costs—tuition, fees, books, and room and board—and the recent SECURE Act changes that expanded 529 distributions to include graduate school. They highlight the case of a student attending a top-tier law school with an annual cost of $70,000, and how a 529 plan can be u...

In this episode of The College Savings Podcast, Lucas and Luna explore how 529 plans can be used for art school tuition and expenses. They discuss the rise of arts-focused education as a viable career path, covering accredited programs from fine arts to digital design. Key points include the IRS definition of qualified expenses, the difference between degree-granting and non-degree programs, and a...

Episode 86 of The College Savings Podcast dives into a less-talked-about 529 plan benefit: using funds for your child's study abroad program. Hosts Lucas and Luna break down the IRS rules, qualified expenses including tuition, room and board, and travel, and the tax implications. They explore a case study of a family using 529 funds for a semester in Spain, covering costs from airfare to living ex...

Episode 85 of The College Savings Podcast explores using 529 plan funds to pay for your child's equestrian program at a certified riding school. Lucas and Luna break down the qualified expenses under the IRS definition of a 'special needs' or 'sport' school, using a real example of the Stoneleigh Riding Academy in Virginia. They discuss the difference between hobby lessons and degree-track program...

Episode 84 of The College Savings Podcast explores the SECURE Act provision that allows 529 plan beneficiaries to use up to $10,000 in tax-free withdrawals to pay down student loans. Lucas and Luna walk through the rules: the lifetime limit per beneficiary, how it applies to siblings, and the interaction with the student loan interest deduction. They discuss strategic timing—whether to use 529 fun...

In this episode of The College Savings Podcast, Lucas and Luna explore how 529 plans can cover your child's computer, software, and internet costs for college. They break down the IRS rules on qualified technology expenses, using the example of a $1,500 laptop for a freshman at Arizona State University. Learn what counts—like printers, monitors, and required software—and what doesn't, such as gami...