Enrollment ends May 31 for Washington's prepaid tuition program

The GET program’s 2017-18 enrollment period closes on May 31. As the state’s 529 prepaid tuition program, GET provides Washington families an opportunity to start saving for future college costs while their children are young.

The Guaranteed Education Tuition (GET) program opened in 1998, and since then, thousands of Washington families have saved billions of dollars to go towards their students’ future higher education expenses. To date, GET has distributed over $1 billion to more than 52,000 students who have used their GET accounts to attend college in all 50 states and 15 foreign countries.

As a 529 prepaid tuition program, the State of Washington guarantees that a family’s GET savings will keep pace with in-state tuition and state-mandated fees. While GET account values keep pace with in-state tuition, beneficiaries have the freedom to follow their ambitions wherever they choose, as GET can be used at nearly any public or private university, community college, or technical school in the country.

“The key to a successful college savings strategy is to start when your kids are young, set realistic goals, and get the whole family involved,” says GET program director, Betty Lochner. “We like to remind families to save what they can, when they can, because even small amounts can add up over time.”

GET's website offers details, charts, planning tools and answers for questions that families may have about the program. Interested families can open accounts online without an enrollment fee, and the GET Contact Center staff is ready to help at 800-955-2318 or GETInfo@wsac.wa.gov.

The Washington Student Achievement Council administers the GET Program while the Washington State Investment Board oversees its investments. The Committee on Advanced Tuition Payment and College Savings, commonly referred to as the GET Committee, governs the program. Washington’s Guaranteed Education Tuition (GET) program is our state’s 529 prepaid tuition plan, providing a safe and secure way to help families save for college. The program offers a guarantee backed by state law, tax benefits, flexible payments and a nationwide choice of colleges.