529 for portion of Grad Student Apartment

Forum|Forum|6 years ago
February 16, 2020
1 reply
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Good Day,

My son is a Grad student in VA. He has a fellowship and is paid, however the cost of living at school is very high and I supplement his income so he can make ends meet; I consider my contribution a portion of his monthly rent. Can I reimburse myself for this rent contribution from a VA inVEST 529 account for which he is the beneficiary?

Cheers!

/pem

DavidS127

Yes, room and board for off-campus housing is allowed if your son is at least a half-time student at an eligible institution. But, the amount is limited to the following per IRS Publication 970 at this link:

"The expense for room and board qualifies only to the extent that it isn't more than the greater of the following two amounts.

The allowance for room and board, as determined by the school, that was included in the cost of attendance (for federal financial aid purposes) for a particular academic period and living arrangement of the student.
The actual amount charged if the student is residing in housing owned or operated by the school.

You may need to contact the eligible educational institution for qualified room and board costs."

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