How assets may affect eligibility

Following a massive publicity push in the lead-up to the official launch of Trump Accounts on July 4, more than 6 million American children have been signed up, according to the latest tally from the U.S. Department of the Treasury.

In the days that followed, there were $50 million in direct contributions and gifts from family and friends into the new investment vehicles, according to Bank of New York Mellon, which is officially managing the initial accounts. 

While the money in a tax-deferred Trump Account, also known as a 530A account, is geared toward long‑term retirement savings, rather than education expenses, the funds can be withdrawn at 18 without penalty to cover higher education costs.

Trump Account assets may also affect a student’s need-based college aid eligibility, based on how income and balances are reported on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. 

The calculation includes both parent and student assets, such as money in a savings or investment account, as well as income, including IRA distributions. Student assets are generally weighted more heavily on the FAFSA, since students are expected to contribute more to pay for their own education. 

“A Trump Account will be reported as a student asset on the FAFSA,” according to higher education expert Mark Kantrowitz. If it’s treated as an investment account, it could reduce need-based aid eligibility by 20% of the asset value, he said. For example, a $10,000 account balance could mean up to $2,000 less in need-based grants.

Because the accounts include a one-time $1,000 pilot program contribution from the U.S. Treasury Department for babies born from 2025 through 2028, even those families who don’t make additional contributions could see college aid eligibility reduced.

“The government gives with one hand while taking back with the other,” Kantrowitz said.

Alternatively, these accounts could be subject to “IRA-like rules once the growth period has ended,” according to Kalman Chany, a financial aid consultant and author of the Princeton Review’s “Paying for College.”

Once the holder of a Trump Account reaches age 18, the standard rules for traditional IRAs apply. “And currently, funds in IRAs and other retirement accounts are never considered to be assets that are required to be reported on the FAFSA,” Chany said.

Official guidance from the Department of Education on how Trump Accounts should be reported on the FAFSA is still pending. Despite some uncertainty, experts generally recommend signing up and taking any free money when it is offered.  

“It would certainly make sense to claim the $1,000 initial seed deposit from Uncle Sam if the child meets the eligibility guidelines,” Chany said. “In a worst case, one would not lose more aid than the value of the account funded by that seed money.”

Students who do intend to tap the account to help pay for college may also face tax consequences. Withdrawn earnings are taxed as ordinary income, according to guidance from the Treasury Department, and any student income can also impact your aid in future years. The FAFSA formula shields a portion of student income, but income exceeding that threshold can be assessed at up to 50%.

For instance, since the financial aid determination is based on tax data from the “prior-prior year” — or a family’s income from two years earlier — students can take the distribution from a Trump Account after Jan. 1 of their sophomore year in college and not have that income factored into their aid calculation going forward, Chany said.

“Take the distribution after you are out of the financial aid woods,” he said.

Alternatively, parent-owned 529 college savings plans are treated more favorably than student-owned assets when it comes to financial aid.

In this case, a maximum of 5.64% of parental assets will be counted, compared with the 20% rate for student assets.

Also, when you withdraw money from a 529 plan, it is tax-free if the funds are used for qualified education expenses. Because Trump Accounts may include a mix of pretax and after-tax contributions, distributions are still partially taxable. 

When it comes to paying for college, experts often consider 529 plans the best way to save because of the tax advantages and higher contribution limits.

This year, individuals can gift up to $19,000 per child without those contributions counting toward the lifetime gift tax exemption — and for grandparents, there is also a “loophole,” which allows them to fund a grandchild’s college savings without impacting their financial aid eligibility.

For comparison, annual contributions to a Trump Account are capped at $5,000 per child.

Subscribe to CNBC on YouTube.