529 K-12 Tuition Withdrawal Planner

Quickly see how much of your children’s K-12 tuition can be covered by a 529 plan without breaching the federal $10,000 per-student limit. Enter tuition, student count, and the funds you intend to withdraw to surface the qualified amount, any remaining out-of-pocket spend, the monthly cash requirement, unused cap room, and the state deduction dollars you can claim.

Tuition, fees, and required expenses per student for the current school year.
Count each child whose tuition will be paid from the 529 plan this year.
Liquid 529 balance you intend to use for K-12 tuition during this tax year.
Override the default $10,000 federal limit per beneficiary if your state sets a lower cap.
Maximum contribution eligible for a state income tax deduction. Defaults to $0 if your state offers none.
Number of months you plan to cash-flow the remaining tuition after 529 withdrawals. Defaults to 12 months.

Education savings reference — verify federal and state 529 rules, contribution deadlines, and deduction eligibility with your tax advisor before executing withdrawals.

Examples

  • $18,500 tuition, 2 students, $28,000 available, $10,000 cap, $15,000 state deduction, 12 months ⇒ Qualified 529 withdrawal allowed this year: $20,000.00 USD. Out-of-pocket needed after 529 funds: $17,000.00 USD ($1,416.67 per month over 12 months). Remaining annual 529 cap room: $0.00 USD; 529 funds left after withdrawal: $8,000.00 USD. State deduction eligibility based on withdrawal: $15,000.00 USD.
  • $9,500 tuition, 1 student, $6,000 available, defaults for caps, 10 months ⇒ Qualified 529 withdrawal allowed this year: $6,000.00 USD. Out-of-pocket needed after 529 funds: $3,500.00 USD ($350.00 per month over 10 months). Remaining annual 529 cap room: $4,000.00 USD; 529 funds left after withdrawal: $0.00 USD.

FAQ

Can I use different tuition amounts for each child?

Run the calculator once per student if tuition varies. Summing the outputs preserves per-beneficiary caps and makes state deduction tracking easier.

What about non-tuition expenses like books or tutoring?

Only tuition is eligible for the federal $10,000 K-12 allowance. Add required fees to the tuition input if your state counts them toward qualified expenses.

Do unused 529 funds carry over?

Yes. Any balance left after the qualified withdrawal remains invested in the 529 and can be used in future years or transferred to another beneficiary.

Will using 529 funds hurt college savings goals?

Withdrawals reduce the balance available for higher education. Use the remaining 529 and cap outputs to plan future contributions or consider a sibling-to-sibling beneficiary change if college funding becomes tight.

Additional Information

  • Federal rules cap K-12 529 withdrawals at $10,000 per beneficiary per year; the optional cap input lets you mirror lower state ceilings.
  • Remaining cap room highlights how much more you could contribute and immediately withdraw without breaching annual limits.
  • The state deduction line simply reports how much of the withdrawal could qualify for a state income tax deduction based on the cap you enter.

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