Education is an investment that can push you or a family member toward obtaining an advanced degree and a successful future. If you’re stashing cash away in a 529 college savings plan, it’s important to create a strategy that helps you grow your investment, meet your long-term goals and eliminate the temptation to steal from your financial future.

How can you protect your 529 college savings plan from impulse buys?

After years of saving for college in your 529 plan, the day has finally arrived that you need some of that money to start school. You have control of how much money you withdraw from your 529 account and what to spend it on. However, before you feel flush in cash, it’s important to know what is covered as a “qualified” expense.

As of January 2018, parents can now use their 529 plans to pay for private K-12 tuition. Originally designed for college, 529 plans allow tax-free earnings growth and tax-free withdrawals when the funds are used to pay for expenses that meet the requirements. That now includes private school tuition.