Rex says
Money math without the spreadsheet headache. Plug in your numbers and I'll show you exactly where the dollars land.
Try a scenario
Click to load — tweak from there.Inputs
Result
Years fully covered
1
Total shortfall to fund elsewhere
$73,132
Balance remaining at end
$0
All years fully funded?
No
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How to use this
- 1Enter current 529 balance ($).
- 2Enter current annual cost of attendance ($).
- 3Enter years of school remaining.
- 4Enter tuition/cost inflation (%).
- 5Enter expected account return (%).
- 6Enter additional contributions per year ($).
- 7Read your years fully covered on the right — it updates as you type.
- 8Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone.
About this calculator
Families often know their 529 balance but not whether it actually covers the years ahead once tuition inflation and continued account growth are both running at the same time. This calculator draws down the balance year by year against a rising cost of attendance, applies investment growth to what's left, and reports how many years are fully covered plus the total shortfall you'd need to cover from other sources.
Worked example
Using the values the calculator loads with:
Inputs
- Current 529 balance: 45000 $
- Current annual cost of attendance: 28000 $
- Years of school remaining: 4
- Tuition/cost inflation: 5 %
- Expected account return: 4 %
- Additional contributions per year: 0 $
Results
- Years fully covered: 1
- Total shortfall to fund elsewhere: $73,132
- Balance remaining at end: $0
- All years fully funded?: No
What each field means
Inputs
- Current 529 balance ($)
- The current 529 balance used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 45000 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Current annual cost of attendance ($)
- The current annual cost of attendance used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 28000 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Years of school remaining
- The years of school remaining used in the calculation. Starts at 4 so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 1–8.
- Tuition/cost inflation (%)
- The tuition/cost inflation used in the calculation, measured in %. Starts at 5 % so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 0–15 %.
- Expected account return (%)
- The expected account return used in the calculation, measured in %. Starts at 4 % so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 0–12 %.
- Additional contributions per year ($)
- The additional contributions per year used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 0 $ so you have a working example on load.
Results
- Years fully covered
- Returned as a whole number and shown as the headline result. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Total shortfall to fund elsewhere
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Balance remaining at end
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- All years fully funded?
- Returned as a plain value. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
FAQ
Should I withdraw a fixed amount or the full cost each year?
This model withdraws the full annual cost of attendance each year, which is the typical approach since 529 funds are meant to cover qualified expenses as they occur, not to be rationed like a retirement account.
What if my 529 return assumption is wrong?
Run this twice with a conservative (2-3%) and optimistic (6-7%) return to see the range of outcomes. Accounts near the withdrawal phase are usually shifted to conservative allocations, so don't assume the same growth rate you'd use for a newborn's account.
Does this count room and board?
Include it in 'annual cost of attendance' if you plan to use 529 funds for it — room and board are qualified expenses up to the school's published cost of attendance, even for off-campus housing.
What happens to the shortfall amount?
It represents money you'd need from income, loans, scholarships, or other savings in that specific year. It is not spread evenly — check which years carry the biggest gaps so you can plan financial aid applications or loan timing accordingly.
Accuracy and limitations
- Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them.
- Rates are treated as fixed for the whole period — variable-rate products will drift from this projection.
- This is educational maths, not financial advice. Check anything contractual with the lender or your accountant.
Related tools
Cite this calculator
Writing about this topic? Grab a citation — every link helps keep these tools free.
RevenueLab. (2026). 529 Plan Drawdown Calculator. Retrieved from https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/529-drawdown
<p>Source: <a href="https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/529-drawdown" target="_blank" rel="noopener">529 Plan Drawdown Calculator — RevenueLab</a> (2026).</p>
Source: [529 Plan Drawdown Calculator — RevenueLab](https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/529-drawdown) (2026).