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K-State Today

March 28, 2012

Save on college expenses for you and/or your family

Submitted by Jennifer Gehrt

Save for college through payroll deduction to the Kansas Learning Quest 529 Education Savings Program, a tax-advantaged plan administered to help you save for the expenses of a college education, for yourself, your family members, your grandchildren or even a friend. You invest in the portfolio(s) of your choice that may be appropriate for your risk tolerance and investing time horizon.

  • Kansas taxpayers receive a Kansas adjusted gross income deduction for their contributions. This deduction applies to contributions of up to $3,000 per beneficiary, per year ($6,000 if married, filing jointly).
  • The earnings portion of withdrawals used to pay for qualified education expenses is tax free at the federal and Kansas state levels.
  • No federal gift tax on contributions per beneficiary up to $65,000 ($130,000 for spousal gifts) in a single year.
  • Generally, contributions to the account are removed from your taxable estate.

Watch a short video about this program.

K-State Dependent/Spouse Grant

Dependents or spouses of eligible K-State employees may be eligible for K-State’s Dependent/Spouse Tuition Grant Program for courses taken at K-State. The employee must be a full-time K-State employee on a regular appointment (not term) who is at least 0.9 FTE. For dependents with a primary career of undergraduate (full time requirement), the amount of the Dependent/Spouse Tuition Grant award for the fall or spring semester is seven credit hours, for a maximum of eight semesters. For dependents with a primary career of graduate or veterinary medicine, the amount of the Dependent/Spouse Tuition Grant award is a maximum of three credit hours. For spouses with a primary career of undergraduate, graduate, or veterinary medicine, the amount of the Dependent/Spouse Tuition Grant award for a semester is a maximum of three credit hours.  An application must be submitted to the office of student financial assistance.

Employee Tuition Assistance Program

To receive tuition assistance, university employees must be full-time, benefits eligible. An Application for Tuition Assistance must be submitted to the office of student financial assistance before the start of each semester. Payment of tuition for one undergraduate or graduate course, up to three hours, is permitted for each fall, spring and summer terms.