Miranda Satterwhite’s mother opened a 529 college savings account when Satterwhite was a child, paying $25 into it every other paycheck. 

“That’s what [paid for] my dual credits through high school, and then paid for some other tuition when my FAFSA wouldn’t kick in anymore,” said Satterwhite. “That way, I could pay for higher education above my associates’ [degree].”

When Satterwhite had a baby at 16, she said her choices were limited: finish high school, or drop out, and get a job.

“I was like ‘well, I need a good, high paying job that’s stable’,” said Satterwhite. “So I needed higher education. … I told my mom that I wanted dual credit.”

That’s when the 529 plan Satterwhite’s mom had been paying into became useful.

“Having that money is the only reason I continued and got part of my associates’ degree in high school, and then finished the second year outside of high school,” said Satterwhite.

Now, she has 529 accounts for her three children. She initially started them when her youngest, now 6, was born. The 529 account her mom built over the years still had money left over, so Satterwhite rolled it into accounts for her children.

Satterwhite represents a growing number of Idahoans defying a national decline in 529 plans.

Despite federal and state legislation empowering 529 college savings plans, many families are choosing not to open them, and some are closing theirs.

Idahoans, on the other hand, are opening them.

For IDeal, Idaho’s college savings program, executive director Dawn Hall said “the hardest thing in Idaho, for us, is people just don’t know who we are and what we do– maybe one in 10 have heard of us.”

In Idaho, 529 plans are tax-deductible, can be used for K-12 or higher education and account holders can roll leftover funds into a Roth Individual Retirement Account.

They’ve proved attractive to Idahoans aware of them: IDeal reports growth of more than 4,000 new accounts each year since 2022. Parents opened more than 5,000 accounts in 2024.

On a national level, Idaho is bucking an investment trend: in July, the New York Times reported that while 65% of parents and parents-to-be are saving for their children’s future using a savings account, less than a quarter are using a 529 plan, according to data provided by the Harris Poll and Intuit Credit Karma.

Conversely, the Gem State is embracing a policy trend. A Wall Street Journal opinion column by two fellows at the Foundation for Research on Equal Opportunity called the changing regulations of 529 plans “a quiet revolution in education policy.”

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act expanded how 529 plans can be used, now encompassing tutoring for K-12 students and vocational training for trades, including career and technical education program fees some districts charge.

But even before the Big Beautiful Bill Act, families were tapping into their 529 funds as early as high school for dual enrollment classes. 

The 529 accounts are invested through Vanguard, an investment firm known for low-cost investing, or FDIC-insured high gross savings accounts. Hall recommends the latter as a “really risk-averse” option.

With Vanguard, account holders “set it and forget it” at aggressive, moderate, or conservative investment, which account holders can change at any time. 

“We try to make it as easy as we can for people,” said Hall.

Satterwhite, who has her 529 accounts invested with moderate risk, recommends the Idaho 529 plan for other families.

“I think something that’s [overlooked] is that employers can put this in their benefits packages,” said Satterwhite. IDeal partners with employers to make it easy for employees to open 529 accounts.

Satterwhite now works as a materials manager for Jayco, a motorhome and travel trailer manufacturer. She attributes her successful career to her education, which she received because of a 529 plan.

“There is nothing better than knowing that if my kids don’t get a grant, if my kids don’t get a scholarship, if my kids don’t get federal aid because our income is too large, if they don’t get a tuition reduction, there’s [a backup],” said Satterwhite. “No matter what, there will be a chance for them to go to college.”