Salina Post
On Monday Kansas Treasurer, Steven Johnson announced a rebranding and new program manager to be established for the state's 529 postsecondary education savings program.
This revitalization is meant to deliver greater value for Kansas families, save toward education rather than fees and give account owners a more user-friendly account management experience.
According to the Treasurer's office, Steven Johnson selected TIAA-CREF Tuition Financing, Inc. (TFI) as the new plan manager for the Learning Quest 529 Education Savings Program.
“For more than 25 years, this program has helped Kansas families plan for the future,” said Johnson. “We took a measured approach and studied what works in other states to build best-in-class 529 plans for Kansas.”
The TFI plan manager from TIAA serves states such as California, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Washington and Wisconsin.
Under new program management, the Kansas 529 plans will be positioned as one of the lowest-cost 529 plans in the market.
Kansas 529 account owners will experience a significant fee reduction that will collectively save millions of dollars, keeping more of their contributions working for future education expenses.
Plan management will transition after the close of business on February 27, 2026, with the conversion completed and the new platform fully live on March 2, 2026.
The transition also brings streamlined investment options, including a shift to enrollment-year portfolios that better align savings with a student’s expected education timeline.
“Our responsibility is to be good stewards of this program,” Johnson said. “This transition carries that commitment forward. It empowers families by reducing costs and complexity, while strengthening the program for the long term.
Account holders will receive detailed transition communications and guidance starting January 20 ahead of the March 2026 conversion.
Additional information about the transition process is available at LearningQuestEnhancements.com
What is the Learning Quest 529 Education Savings Program?
The Learning Quest 529 Education Savings Program helps Kansas families save for their loved ones in tax-advantaged 529 savings accounts. This program helps individuals pay for qualified educational and career advancement expenses. Funds can grow and be withdrawn for educational purposes tax free, if used toward qualified expenses.
Additionally, Kansas taxpayers may take an annual deduction of up to $3,000 ($6,000 for married, filing jointly) from Kansas adjusted gross income for contributions into each beneficiary's account.
This program is administered by the Kansas State Treasurer, who is responsible for the regulations governing the program, selecting the financial organization that manages the accounts, ensuring the program complies with all relevant IRS guidelines and monitoring investment performance with the assistance of an outside consultant and an advisory committee.
Many people who have invested into program do so for their children as early as possible before they head into college.
Learning Quest is available in all states.
Kansas’ 529 plans, including Learning Quest and the Schwab 529 Plan, together serve more than 228,000 families and represent approximately $14.5 billion in assets under management