Schwab 529 Education Savings Plan review

The Schwab 529 Education Savings Plan is sponsored by Kansas and administered by the Kansas State Treasurer, and Schwab says you can open it with as little as one dollar. Costs are layered simply: a 0.01% plan management fee and a 0.01% state administrative fee on every portfolio, plus underlying fund expenses that Schwab estimates at 0.05% to 0.10% for enrollment year portfolios. Static allocation portfolios list 0.12% for Aggressive, 0.10% for Moderate and 0.04% for Conservative, and the individual fund lineup includes a U.S. Equity Index Portfolio at 0.03%. Schwab adds dedicated 529 specialists and a state tax calculator to help you check whether your own state's plan would give a better deduction. One change to note: effective March 2, 2026, TIAA-CREF Tuition Financing became the plan manager. Outside Kansas there is no state tax benefit, and a few individual portfolios, like U.S. Large Company Index at 0.25%, cost more than the core options.

Who it is for

Schwab customers who want one login

Price

0.02% plan and state fees plus underlying fund costs; open with $1.

A 0.01% plan management fee and 0.01% state administrative fee apply to every portfolio.
Quoted from the vendor pricing page on November 14, 2026.

Key features

• Open an account with as little as one dollar
• Enrollment year portfolios with estimated underlying expenses of 0.05% to 0.10%
• 0.01% plan management fee and 0.01% state administrative fee on every portfolio
• Individual fund portfolios such as U.S. Equity Index Portfolio at 0.03% underlying expenses
• Dedicated 529 specialists and a 529 state tax calculator

Strengths and weaknesses

• Strength: Lowest stated opening amount among plans that publish one
• Strength: Plan-level fees total only 0.02% a year
• Strength: Fits next to existing Schwab brokerage and retirement accounts
• Weakness: Kansas sponsors the plan, so most buyers get no home-state tax break from it
• Weakness: Plan manager changed to TIAA-CREF Tuition Financing effective March 2, 2026
• Weakness: Some individual portfolios cost more, such as U.S. Large Company Index at 0.25%

Key facts

• Minimum to open: $1
• Plan and state fees: 0.01% + 0.01%
• Enrollment year underlying expenses: 0.05% to 0.10%
• Sponsor: State of Kansas, Kansas State Treasurer

Where it ranks

Schwab 529 Education Savings Plan is No. 4 in our Best 529 Plans verdict.