Path2College 529 Plan

Frequently Asked Questions - Beneficiaries

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Who can be the beneficiary of an account?
Any U.S. citizen or resident alien, including the account holder, can be the beneficiary. The beneficiary must have a valid Social Security Number or taxpayer identification number.

Can I change the beneficiary of my account?
Yes, you can change your beneficiary at any time, or transfer a portion of your investment to a different beneficiary. The new beneficiary must be a member of the previous beneficiary's family, as described in the Path2College 529 Plan Disclosure Booklet and Participation Agreements (PDF, 435KB). Effective March 10, 2008, transfers from the Guaranteed Option to the Money Market Option will not be permitted. (If this restriction changes, investors will be notified prior to the effective date of any such change.) Use the Change of Beneficiary form (PDF, 46KB).

Who qualifies as member of the family?
A "member of the family" of a beneficiary is a person related to that beneficiary as follows:

  • (i) a son or daughter, or a descendant of either
  • (ii) a stepson or stepdaughter
  • (iii) a brother, sister, stepbrother or stepsister
  • (iv) the father or mother, or an ancestor of either
  • (v) a stepfather or stepmother
  • (vi) a son or daughter of a brother or sister
  • (vii) a brother or sister of the father or mother
  • (viii) a son-in-law, daughter-in-law, father-in-law, mother-in-law, brother-in-law or sister-in-law
  • (ix) the spouse of the beneficiary or of any of the other foregoing individuals
  • (x) a first cousin of the beneficiary.

For this purpose, a child includes a legally adopted child and a brother or sister includes a half-brother or half-sister.


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Have a question you don't see listed? Need clarification?

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1-877-424-4377

We're available 8:00 am to 8:00 pm Eastern Time.

Don't forget you can set up an Automatic Contribution Plan (PDF, 50KB) or use Payroll Deduction (PDF, 51KB) for your contributions (if offered by your employer).

PDF files require the free Adobe Acrobat Reader. Get it here.

Access our glossary for the meanings of terms used throughout this site.

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The Path2College 529 Plan is offered by the State of Georgia. TIAA-CREF Tuition Financing, Inc. (TFI) serves as Program Manager. TFI's affiliates, Teachers Personal Investors Services, Inc. (TPIS) and TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC, member FINRA, distribute the Path2College 529 Plan.

The tax information contained on the Path2College 529 Plan Web site is not intended to be used, and cannot be used by any taxpayer, for the purpose of avoiding tax penalties that may be imposed on the taxpayer. It was written to support the promotion of the products and services addressed in the Web site. Taxpayers should seek advice based on their own particular circumstances from an independent tax advisor.

The investment approaches described are not recommendations and do not take into consideration personal goals or preferences. After evaluating information you consider important in making an investment choice, the ultimate decision is up to you. It is a good idea to revisit your investment strategy periodically as your goals, personal financial situation, and market conditions change.

Consider the investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses before investing in the Path2College 529 Plan. Please call toll-free 1-877-424-4377 for a Disclosure Booklet containing this information. Read it carefully.

Before investing in a 529 plan, you should consider whether the state you or your designated beneficiary reside in or have taxable income in has a 529 plan that offers favorable state income tax or other benefits that are only available if you invest in that state's 529 plan.

The State of Georgia, its agencies, TIAA-CREF Tuition Financing, Inc., Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America and its affiliates do not insure any account or guarantee its principal or investment return except for TIAA-CREF Life Insurance Company's guarantee to the Board of the Georgia Higher Education Savings Plan under the funding agreement for the Guaranteed Option. Account value will fluctuate based upon a number of factors, including general market conditions.

The Path2College 529 Web site is for informational purposes only, and does not constitute an offer to sell or solicitation of an offer to buy any security that may be referenced on the site. Such offer or solicitation can be made only through the Disclosure Booklet

The Path2College 529 Web site contains links to other Web sites. Neither the Board of the Georgia Higher Education Savings Plan nor TIAA-CREF Tuition Financing, Inc. and its affiliates are responsible for the content of those other Web sites. The accuracy of information on those sites cannot be confirmed.

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© 2008 TIAA-CREF Tuition Financing Inc.