Risks and Important Information about North Carolina's National College Savings Program (NC 529 Plan)

For more information about the NC 529 Plan, please review the complete NC 529 Plan Program Description as well as the Enrollment and Participation Agreement available on this website, or contact 800-600-3453 to request an enrollment kit that includes both. Before opening an Account, or contributing funds to an existing Account, you should carefully read and consider the Program Description, which includes information on investment objectives, risks, charges, expenses, and other important information.

North Carolina's National College Savings Program (NC 529 Plan) is a program of the State of North Carolina, established and maintained by the North Carolina State Education Assistance Authority (Authority) as a Qualified Tuition Program under federal tax law, and administered by College Foundation, Inc. (CFI). Current Investment Options are offered by State Employee's Credit Union (SECU) and The Vanguard Group, Inc. (Vanguard).

The features of a Qualified Tuition Program are complex and involve significant tax issues. The earnings portion of Withdrawals not used for Qualified Higher Education Expenses is subject to federal income tax and a 10% federal penalty tax, as well as state and local income taxes. The availability of tax benefits may be contingent on meeting other requirements.

Accounts are not bank or credit union deposits and are not insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA). Neither the contributions nor the earnings thereon invested in an NC 529 Account are backed by the full faith and credit of the State of North Carolina or guaranteed by the Authority, CFI, SECU, or Vanguard. Notwithstanding the foregoing, contributions and interest earned thereon allocated to the Federally-Insured Deposit Account Investment Option are guaranteed by the State Employees' Credit Union and insured by the NCUA, which is backed by full faith and credit of the United States Government, up to the applicable federal share insurance limits. The value of a Participant's Account will fluctuate depending on the market conditions and the performance of the Investment Option selected. You could lose money by investing in the NC 529 Plan. Participants assume all responsibility for federal and state tax consequences.