Under the old FAFSA rules, assets held in grandparent-owned 529 college savings plans were not reported on the form, but distributions from those accounts counted as untaxed student income.
Still, the idea of a loophole is not entirely new, according to Kalman Chany, a financial aid consultant and author of The Princeton Review's "Paying for College."
"There were always planning strategies that families could use when it came to third-party 529 plans," Chany said.
"Even with this change, you still need to look before you leap if grandparents are going to help pay for college," Chany said.
The other advantages of 529 plans
Persons:
Mark Kantrowitz, Michael Green, Green, Kalman Chany, Chany
Organizations:
IRS, slims, Apollon Wealth Management, Princeton
Locations:
Charleston , North Carolina