Fees and expenses

The information below describes the fees and expenses you would pay if you contributed to a particular investment portfolio in the Bright Start 529 College Savings Plan. These fees are indirectly paid out of the assets of your account. Except for the fees listed below, there are currently no other fees, charges or penalties imposed by or payable to the Plan in connection with opening or maintaining an account.

Aggressive Enrollment Year Portfolios(6)

Investment Portfolios Plan Manager Fee(1)(2) Treasurer Administrative Fee(1)(3) Estimated Expenses of an Investment Portfolio's Underlying Investments(4) Total Annual Asset-Based Fees(5)
Aggressive 2042/2043 Enrollment Portfolio 0.06% none 0.04% 0.10%
Aggressive 2040/2041 Enrollment Portfolio 0.06% none 0.04% 0.10%
Aggressive 2038/2039 Enrollment Portfolio 0.06% none 0.04% 0.10%
Aggressive 2036/2037 Enrollment Portfolio 0.06% none 0.04% 0.10%
Aggressive 2034/2035 Enrollment Portfolio 0.06% none 0.04% 0.10%
Aggressive 2032/2033 Enrollment Portfolio 0.06% none 0.04% 0.10%
Aggressive 2030/2031 Enrollment Portfolio 0.06% none 0.04% 0.10%
Aggressive 2028/2029 Enrollment Portfolio 0.06% none 0.04% 0.10%
Aggressive 2026/2027 Enrollment Portfolio 0.06% none 0.04% 0.10%
Aggressive Enrolled Portfolio 0.06% none 0.03% 0.09%

Moderate Enrollment Year Portfolios(6)

Investment Portfolios Plan Manager Fee(1)(2) Treasurer Administrative Fee(1)(3) Estimated Expenses of an Investment Portfolio's Underlying Investments(4) Total Annual Asset-Based Fees(5)
Moderate 2042/2043 Enrollment Portfolio 0.06% none 0.04% 0.10%
Moderate 2040/2041 Enrollment Portfolio 0.06% none 0.04% 0.10%
Moderate 2038/2039 Enrollment Portfolio 0.06% none 0.04% 0.10%
Moderate 2036/2037 Enrollment Portfolio 0.06% none 0.04% 0.10%
Moderate 2034/2035 Enrollment Portfolio 0.06% none 0.04% 0.10%
Moderate 2032/2033 Enrollment Portfolio 0.06% none 0.04% 0.10%
Moderate 2030/2031 Enrollment Portfolio 0.06% none 0.04% 0.10%
Moderate 2028/2029 Enrollment Portfolio 0.06% none 0.04% 0.10%
Moderate 2026/2027 Enrollment Portfolio 0.06% none 0.03% 0.09%
Moderate Enrolled Portfolio 0.06% none 0.02% 0.08%

Aggressive Active Blend Enrollment Year Portfolios

Investment Portfolios Plan Manager Fee(1)(2) Treasurer Administrative Fee(1)(3) Estimated Expenses of an Investment Portfolio's Underlying Investments(4) Total Annual Asset-Based Fees(5)
Aggressive Active Blend 2042/2043 Enrollment Portfolio 0.06% 0.025% 0.18% 0.270%
Aggressive Active Blend 2040/2041 Enrollment Portfolio 0.06% 0.025% 0.21% 0.295%
Aggressive Active Blend 2038/2039 Enrollment Portfolio 0.06% 0.025% 0.24% 0.325%
Aggressive Active Blend 2036/2037 Enrollment Portfolio 0.06% 0.025% 0.27% 0.355%
Aggressive Active Blend 2034/2035 Enrollment Portfolio 0.06% 0.025% 0.30% 0.385%
Aggressive Active Blend 2032/2033 Enrollment Portfolio 0.06% 0.025% 0.29% 0.375%
Aggressive Active Blend 2030/2031 Enrollment Portfolio 0.06% 0.025% 0.30% 0.385%
Aggressive Active Blend 2028/2029 Enrollment Portfolio 0.06% 0.025% 0.32% 0.405%
Aggressive Active Blend 2026/2027 Enrollment Portfolio 0.06% 0.025% 0.34% 0.425%
Aggressive Active Blend Enrolled Portfolio 0.06% 0.025% 0.23% 0.315%

Moderate Active Blend Enrollment Year Portfolios

Investment Portfolios Plan Manager Fee(1)(2) Treasurer Administrative Fee(1)(3) Estimated Expenses of an Investment Portfolio's Underlying Investments(4) Total Annual Asset-Based Fees(5)
Moderate Active Blend 2042/2043 Enrollment Portfolio 0.06% 0.025% 0.21% 0.295%
Moderate Active Blend 2040/2041 Enrollment Portfolio 0.06% 0.025% 0.24% 0.325%
Moderate Active Blend 2038/2039 Enrollment Portfolio 0.06% 0.025% 0.27% 0.355%
Moderate Active Blend 2036/2037 Enrollment Portfolio 0.06% 0.025% 0.30% 0.385%
Moderate Active Blend 2034/2035 Enrollment Portfolio 0.06% 0.025% 0.29% 0.375%
Moderate Active Blend 2032/2033 Enrollment Portfolio 0.06% 0.025% 0.30% 0.385%
Moderate Active Blend 2030/2031 Enrollment Portfolio 0.06% 0.025% 0.32% 0.405%
Moderate Active Blend 2028/2029 Enrollment Portfolio 0.06% 0.025% 0.34% 0.425%
Moderate Active Blend 2026/2027 Enrollment Portfolio 0.06% 0.025% 0.23% 0.315%
Moderate Active Blend Enrolled Portfolio 0.06% 0.025% 0.16% 0.245%
  1. 1Although the Plan Manager Fee and the Treasurer Administrative Fee, if any, are deducted from an Investment Portfolio (with the exception of the Principal Plus Interest Portfolio), not from your Account, each Account in the Investment Portfolio indirectly bears its pro rata share of the Plan Manager Fee and the Treasurer Administrative Fee as these fees reduce the Investment Portfolio’s return. The Treasurer Administrative Fee is collected to cover the cost of any fees, costs, and expenses, including investment fees and expenses and payments to third parties, related to the College Savings Pool, to the extent not paid directly out of the investments of the College Savings Pool, and to maintain an adequate reserve fund in line with industry standards for government operated funds.↩
  2. 2Each Investment Portfolio (with the exception of the Principal Plus Interest Portfolio) pays the Plan Manager a fee at an annual rate of 0.06% of the average daily net assets held by that Investment Portfolio.↩
  3. 3Certain Investment Portfolios pay to the Treasurer a fee equal to 0.025% of the average daily net assets held by such Investment Portfolios to pay for expenses related to the administration of the Plan.↩
  4. 4 The percentages set forth in this column are based on the expense ratios of the Underlying Investments in which an Investment Portfolio invests. The amounts are calculated using the expense ratio reported in each fund’s prospectus effective as of May 31, 2024, and are weighted according to the Investment Portfolio’s allocation among the mutual funds in which it invests. Although these expenses are not deducted from an Investment Portfolio’s assets, each Investment Portfolio (other than the Principal Plus Interest Portfolio and High Yield Bank Savings 529 Portfolio) indirectly bears its pro rata share of the expenses of the funds in which it invests as these expenses reduce such fund’s return.↩
  5. 5These figures represent the estimated weighted annual expense ratios of the Underlying Investments in which the Investment Portfolios invest plus the fees paid to the Plan Manager and to the Treasurer.↩
  6. 6These Portfolios invest a portion of their assets in ETFs. Because ETFs are traded on a securities exchange, Portfolios that invest in ETFs will pay transaction costs when buying and selling shares of an ETF. These transaction costs are not listed in the table.↩

Passive Static Allocation Portfolios(6)

Investment Portfolios Plan Manager Fee(1)(2) Treasurer Administrative Fee(1)(3) Estimated Expenses of an Investment Portfolio's Underlying Investments(4) Total Annual Asset-Based Fees(5)
Equity Portfolio 0.06% none 0.04% 0.10%
Balanced Portfolio 0.06% none 0.04% 0.10%
Fixed Income Portfolio 0.06% none 0.02% 0.08%

Active Blend Static Allocation Portfolios

Investment Portfolios Plan Manager Fee(1)(2) Treasurer Administrative Fee(1)(3) Estimated Expenses of an Investment Portfolio's Underlying Investments(4) Total Annual Asset-Based Fees(5)
Active Blend Equity Portfolio 0.06% 0.025% 0.18% 0.265%
Active Blend Balanced Portfolio 0.06% 0.025% 0.30% 0.385%
Active Blend Fixed Income Portfolio 0.06% 0.025% 0.20% 0.285%
  1. 1Although the Plan Manager Fee and the Treasurer Administrative Fee, if any, are deducted from an Investment Portfolio (with the exception of the Principal Plus Interest Portfolio), not from your Account, each Account in the Investment Portfolio indirectly bears its pro rata share of the Plan Manager Fee and the Treasurer Administrative Fee as these fees reduce the Investment Portfolio’s return. The Treasurer Administrative Fee is collected to cover the cost of any fees, costs, and expenses, including investment fees and expenses and payments to third parties, related to the College Savings Pool, to the extent not paid directly out of the investments of the College Savings Pool, and to maintain an adequate reserve fund in line with industry standards for government operated funds.↩
  2. 2Each Investment Portfolio (with the exception of the Principal Plus Interest Portfolio) pays the Plan Manager a fee at an annual rate of 0.06% of the average daily net assets held by that Investment Portfolio.↩
  3. 3Certain Investment Portfolios pay to the Treasurer a fee equal to 0.025% of the average daily net assets held by such Investment Portfolios to pay for expenses related to the administration of the Plan.↩
  4. 4The percentages set forth in this column are based on the expense ratios of the Underlying Investments in which an Investment Portfolio invests. The amounts are calculated using the expense ratio reported in each fund’s prospectus effective as of May 31, 2024, and are weighted according to the Investment Portfolio’s allocation among the mutual funds in which it invests. Although these expenses are not deducted from an Investment Portfolio’s assets, each Investment Portfolio (other than the Principal Plus Interest Portfolio and High Yield Bank Savings 529 Portfolio) indirectly bears its pro rata share of the expenses of the funds in which it invests as these expenses reduce such fund’s return.↩
  5. 5These figures represent the estimated weighted annual expense ratios of the Underlying Investments in which the Investment Portfolios invest plus the fees paid to the Plan Manager and to the Treasurer.↩
  6. 6These Portfolios invest a portion of their assets in ETFs. Because ETFs are traded on a securities exchange, Portfolios that invest in ETFs will pay transaction costs when buying and selling shares of an ETF. These transaction costs are not listed in the table.↩

Investment Portfolio Plan Manager Fee(1)(2) Treasurer Administrative Fee(1)(3) Estimated Expenses of an Investment Portfolio's Underlying Investments(4) Total Annual Asset-Based Fees(5)
Vanguard Total Stock Market Index 529 Portfolio 0.06% none 0.02% 0.080%
Vanguard S&P 500 Index 529 Portfolio 0.06% none 0.02% 0.080%
DFA U.S. Large Cap Value 529 Portfolio 0.06% 0.025% 0.22% 0.305%
T. Rowe Price Large-Cap Growth 529 Portfolio (SMA) 0.06% 0.025% 0.33% 0.415%
Ariel 529 Portfolio 0.06% 0.025% 0.68% 0.765%
Vanguard Explorer 529 Portfolio 0.06% 0.025% 0.34% 0.425%
DFA U.S. Targeted Value 529 Portfolio 0.06% 0.025% 0.29% 0.375%
Nuveen International Equity Index 529 Portfolio 0.06% none 0.05% 0.110%
DFA International Small Company 529 Portfolio 0.06% 0.025% 0.39% 0.475%
Vanguard Real Estate Index 529 Portfolio 0.06% none 0.08% 0.140%
Parnassus Core Equity 529 Portfolio 0.06% 0.025% 0.61% 0.695%
Vanguard Total Bond Market Index 529 Portfolio 0.06% none 0.03% 0.090%
Dodge & Cox Income 529 Portfolio 0.06% 0.025% 0.41% 0.495%
Vanguard Total International Bond Index 529 Portfolio 0.06% none 0.07% 0.130%
Vanguard Short-Term Inflation-Protected Securities Index 529 Portfolio 0.06% none 0.04% 0.100%
Baird Short-Term Bond 529 Portfolio 0.06% 0.025% 0.30% 0.385%
High Yield Bank Savings 529 Portfolio 0.06% none 0.00% 0.060%
Principal Plus Interest 529 Portfolio(7) N/A none N/A N/A
  1. 1Although the Plan Manager Fee and the Treasurer Administrative Fee, if any, are deducted from an Investment Portfolio (with the exception of the Principal Plus Interest Portfolio), not from your Account, each Account in the Investment Portfolio indirectly bears its pro rata share of the Plan Manager Fee and the Treasurer Administrative Fee as these fees reduce the Investment Portfolio’s return. The Treasurer Administrative Fee is collected to cover the cost of any fees, costs, and expenses, including investment fees and expenses and payments to third parties, related to the College Savings Pool, to the extent not paid directly out of the investments of the College Savings Pool, and to maintain an adequate reserve fund in line with industry standards for government operated funds.↩
  2. 2Each Investment Portfolio (with the exception of the Principal Plus Interest Portfolio) pays the Plan Manager a fee at an annual rate of 0.06% of the average daily net assets held by that Investment Portfolio.↩
  3. 3 Certain Investment Portfolios pay to the Treasurer a fee equal to 0.025% of the average daily net assets held by such Investment Portfolios to pay for expenses related to the administration of the Plan.↩
  4. 4The percentages set forth in this column are based on the expense ratios of the Underlying Investments in which an Investment Portfolio invests. The amounts are calculated using the expense ratio reported in each fund’s prospectus effective as of May 31, 2024, and are weighted according to the Investment Portfolio’s allocation among the mutual funds in which it invests. Although these expenses are not deducted from an Investment Portfolio’s assets, each Investment Portfolio (other than the Principal Plus Interest Portfolio and High Yield Bank Savings 529 Portfolio) indirectly bears its pro rata share of the expenses of the funds in which it invests as these expenses reduce such fund’s return.↩
  5. 5These figures represent the estimated weighted annual expense ratios of the Underlying Investments in which the Investment Portfolios invest plus the fees paid to the Plan Manager and to the Treasurer.↩
  6. 7The Principal Plus Interest Portfolio does not pay a Plan Manager Fee or a Treasurer Administrative Fee. TIAA-CREF Life Insurance Company (“TIAA-CREF Life”), an affiliate of TFI and the issuer of the funding agreement in which this Investment Portfolio invests, makes payments to the Plan Manager. These payments, among many other factors, are considered by the issuer when determining the interest rate(s) credited under the funding agreement.↩