The State of Louisiana is proud to offer the new START K12 savings plan, which allows families to save for tuition expenses*
related to attendance at eligible Louisiana schools that provide kindergarten through twelfth grade instruction.
An eligible school is "a public or approved nonpublic elementary or secondary school in Louisiana that contains any of the grades kindergarten through twelve."
A list of approved nonpublic schools can be found here.
* NOTE that START K12 funds can only be used to pay tuition. If your school is eligible, but does not charge tuition, you cannot use START K12 funds for any expenses necessary to attend those schools.
START K12 is a
“Qualified Tuition Plan” under Section 529 of the Internal Revenue Code. The program is administered by the Louisiana Office
of Student Financial Assistance, under the direction of the Louisiana Tuition Trust Authority, or LATTA. The LATTA is a public
body composed of representatives from all of the state's education governing boards, and includes the State Treasurer and one
member from each house of the Louisiana Legislature.
A savings account for education, is commonly called an Education Savings Account (ESA), may be opened on behalf of a named
Beneficiary by anyone, including legal entities, provided that the Account Owner OR the Beneficiary is a resident of Louisiana.
Account Owners may save at their own pace, in amounts they can afford, and still have their money professionally managed.
There are many advantages to investing your money in the START K12 Saving Program. Some of them include:
- Five investment funds are offered to meet the unique circumstances of each Account Owner. These options range from very
conservative to very aggressive.
- An Account Owner may select one or more investment funds with various equity mutual funds.
- Up to the Current Value of an account may be used to pay the qualified tuition expenses of the Beneficiary at any
Louisiana school that provides kindergarten through twelfth grade instruction.
- No fees are charged to participants in the START K12 Saving Program. The START K12 Saving Program is charged management
fees on monies that it invests in mutual funds offered by The Vanguard Group.
- As a Qualified Tuition Program, the START K12 Saving Program is exempt from federal taxes, which means the program does
not pay taxes that could reduce your return on investments.
- Deposits can be made through automatic bank debit, payroll deduction, or direct payment (including lump sums).
There is no limitation on the frequency of deposits and the minimum deposit amount is only $10.
- Earnings on deposits are exempt from federal taxes when used to pay qualified tuition expenses.
You may use this Web site to open an account in the START K12 Saving Program. A comprehensive explanation of the program is provided
in the START K12 Disclosure Booklet, which includes the terms and conditions of the program. The potential risks of investing the START
K12 Program are disclosed in START K12 Disclosure Booklet. For additional information, please call 1-800-259-5626 and press "3"
or e-mail us at START@la.gov.