Q. I would prefer having a clear record of distributions against receipts. His apartment rental is $780/mo and he is signing a 12 month lease. Any advice?
A. Yes. Take a 529 distribution for food ("board") and go to the trouble of keeping food receipts. For "room" (rent) you cannot count the full 12 months, only the months he was in attendance. Plan B: look up the meal plan cost at a near by college and use that amount (if less than your school's board allowance). Plan C: just use the school's $11,514 total R&B allowance.
