My Son Isn't Going to College. What Happens to All the Money I Saved?

Q. My son is turning 18 and I’ve saved more than $200,000 for him for college. He doesn’t want to go. Some of the money is in UTMAs, some in a 529 Plan and some in savings bonds. I don’t want him to live off the money and not get a job. Help!

A. Bet that threw you for a loop.

Each of the kinds of assets you saved for your son is treated a bit differently, so let’s take stock of what you have.

Custodial Accounts

The assets you saved in a custodial account — Uniform Transfer to Minor Act accounts, or UTMAs — will be his when he reaches the age of majority, said Bryan Smalley, a certified financial planner with RegentAtlantic Capital in Morristown.

In New Jersey, the age of majority is 21. That means that there are three more years before the assets officially become your son’s.

“A lot can happen in the next three years: your son could start a career and be self-sufficient — therefore not needing the money to support his lifestyle — he could start his own company and use the UTMA funds to help grow the business, or he could end up deciding to go the college,” Smalley said. “Who knows, a few years of earning minimum wage and seeing all of his friends move on with their lives may be all the motivation he needs to hit the books once again.”

The 529 Plan

The 529 account is different. As long as you’re the owner of the account, you retain control of the funds and there is no time limit on when you need to use them,” Smalley said.

If your son decides to go to college in a year or two, the funds will be there.

“If your son does not go to college, you can always use the funds for another of your children’s college education — if your son is not an only child — or hold onto the account and use it for a future grandchild’s college education,” Smalley said.

Savings Bonds Earmarked for College

If either of those options are not of interest to you, you can always withdraw the funds from the 529 account and use them elsewhere, Smalley said. But that move comes with a price. You’ll have to pay a 10% penalty plus taxes on the earnings in the account if you use the funds for anything other than qualified higher education expenses.

On your savings bonds — assuming they are either EE or I bonds — if they are owned in your name, your son does not have a right to them even though they were purchased with the intent to pay for his college education, Smalley said. You may continue to hold onto them or cash them in.

“Please note that if they are not used to pay for higher education expenses the interest on the bonds is not deductible on your tax return,” Smalley said.

If you purchased bonds in the name of your son, you can have them reissued in your name. The caveat here is that you cannot have them reissued if they were purchased with your son’s own money, such as with money from an UTMA.

“As you can see, not all is lost. While it must be disappointing that your son does not want to go to college now, it is not an irrevocable decision,” Smalley said. “He could always change his mind and go later or perhaps he finds his success on a path that does not travel through a college education.”

My Son Isn’t Going to College. What Happens to All the Money I Saved?

Custodial Accounts

The 529 Plan

Savings Bonds Earmarked for College

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