This is a fantastic summary, of that first year paying for college and having advise for that initial tax year filing — both of parents and the college-aged child.
That original post was 2019. Excellent summary.
Now, is anything in that analysis different now in 2025-2026? There was the major expansion of “what qualifies” as the target (any contribution limits) for 529-qualified funds 1099-Q during the summer of 2025 so-called “Big Beautiful Bill”. But my question is, did any of the material and analysis in this post from 2018 materially change between 2019 and January of 2026?
I particularly appreciated how that article clarified that 529-qualified funds can pay for Room & Board, while most other payment sources (scholarship, out-of-pocket) could not “qualify” with regard to annual taxes. The material is complicated for a first-time college family.
