Give the Gift of Education with GET
Contributions towards a child’s 529 education savings account make the perfect gift for holidays, special occasions, birthdays, baby showers and important milestones. Friends and family can make gift contributions to help a student beneficiary’s account grow. Education is a gift that truly lasts a lifetime!
Account Owners
Do you want to invite family and friends to contribute to your student's GET account?
Create a Convenient Gifting Link
GET account owners can invite family and friends to make online gift contributions in GET’s secure portal by sending a gifting link unique to their student beneficiary. The gifting link provides giftors with the ability to set up a GET log in and create a personal giftor profile in GET's secure portal. Then the giftor will have the ability to give directly to the student beneficiary through the portal anytime, from anywhere!
After their gifting profile is set up, giftors can add more student beneficiaries to their gifting profile and manage all their GET gift contributions quickly and easily. If a giftor already has an online giftor profile set up, you can give them your student's name and account number so they can begin gifting.
Sign in to your online GET account.
Click on the Gifting option in the menu*.
Turn on the Gifting Enabled button/toggle for your student.
Add a savings goal (optional) to show giftors what percent of your savings goal has been met.
Select how you wish to send the link:
- Email (use the automated email or edit to write a personal message).
- Print a QR code flyer (mail or hand deliver to friends and family).
- Share (copy the link to share on social media or in a text message).
Receive contributions: You receive an email notification when a gift contribution is made to your account.
*On cell phones or tablets you may need to click on the green arrow to locate the menu.
GET account owners can create a gifting profile in the GET portal to become a giftor for other GET student beneficiaries. You will need the student's name and account number or a link from the account owner of student beneficiaries you wish to add to your profile. Follow steps to set up a giftor profile in GET’s secure online portal.
Family and Friend Gift Contributions
Grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and even friends can make gift contributions to a child's 529 education savings account. WA529 offers four simple ways to give. GET's newest option, create a giftor profile in GET's secure portal, allows family and friends to quickly and easily contribute to student GET accounts anytime from anywhere!
- Go to 529.wa.gov, Sign In, GET Login and create your login ID, or
- Click on the unique GET account link sent by the account owner of the student beneficiary you wish to give to.
- You will be prompted to register for your online access. Select the Giftor tab to register and follow the steps to add your giftor information.
- Add additional student beneficiaries to your giftor profile using the student's name and account number or by using the links provided by individual GET account owners.
- Begin sending gift contributions anytime, from anywhere!
- Account owners and giftors can use this feature.
- You don't have to be a US Bank customer to use this service.
- You will be redirected to a US Bank secure payment site when you select Make a Payment below.
- A $1.00 transaction fee will be added to your payment for this service.
- Please note: Providing incorrect bank information may result in a $25.00 Non-Sufficient Funds (NSF) fee.
Have the following ready:
- Student beneficiary's name and GET account number.
- Your bank's routing number (typically 9 digits).
- Your bank account number (enter your full account number, which varies by bank).
- Click here to see examples of how to find a routing number on your check.
- Send a check by mail to: GET Program, PO Box 84824, Seattle, WA 98124-6124
- Write the GET account number on the check or money order.
- Specify if your gift is a Lump Sum or a Custom Monthly payment. Lump Sum payments purchase additional units. A Custom Monthly payment goes toward regular monthly payments. Gift contributions apply to regular Custom Monthly payments if Lump Sum is not specified.
- You may use a gift certificate (below) or a basic payment coupon found on our forms page as an alternative to a gift certificate.
- GET's annual enrollment period is open November 1 - May 31.
- Visit our GET Started page to learn more.
- Open a new account through our secure online portal (November 1 - May 31).
- Open a new account by mailing an enrollment form (November 1 - May 31).
If you have any questions about gifting to a student's GET account or need assistance, please call the GET Contact Center at 1.800.955.2318.
Create a Gift Certificate
Creating a gift certificate to go with your gift contribution is easy! Download a certificate. Fill in the details, print and cut in two. Mail the top half of the certificate to the GET Program with your payment. Present the lower half to the gift recipient.
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Attend a Gifting Webinar
Learn more details about gifting options, complete with time for questions and answers. Gifting webinars are a great resource to answer questions you may have about the gifting process. Visit on our WA529 Knowledge Cafe page to register for a date and time.
How will gift contributions to a GET or DreamAhead account affect taxes?
Savings in any 529 plan account are generally considered completed gifts for federal estate and gift tax purposes.
If your contributions, together with any other gifts to a student beneficiary (over and above those made to your account), do not exceed $18,000 per year ($36,000 for married couples making a proper election), those contributions will qualify for the annual exclusion from gift tax for that year. Gifts of up to $90,000 can be made in a single year ($180,000 for married couples making a proper election) for a student beneficiary and you may elect to apply the contribution against the annual exclusion equally over a five-year period. This allows you to move assets into tax-deferred investments and out of your estate more quickly.
If you die with assets still remaining in your account, the account value will generally not be included in your estate for federal estate tax purposes, unless you elect the five-year averaging and die before the end of the fifth year. If the student beneficiary dies, and assets remain in your account, the value of your account may be included in the student beneficiary’s estate for federal tax purposes. Further rules regarding gifts and the generation-skipping transfer tax may apply in the case of distributions, changes of beneficiaries, and other situations. The state law treatment of gift and estate taxes varies so you should check with your tax advisor for the specific effect of federal and state (if any) gift tax and generation-skipping transfer tax on your situation.