About Us

Going to College in Ohio - With more than 100 higher education institutions throughout the state, Ohio has something for everyone.

Financial Professionals - Discover how the direct and advisor Ohio CollegeAdvantage plans can help your clients finance their child's or grandchild's college education.

The Ohio Tuition Trust Authority
Ohio Tuition Trust Authority Board
Working at the Tuition Trust
Public Records Policy

The Ohio Tuition Trust Authority
Since 1989, the Ohio Tuition Trust Authority, a state agency within the office of the Chancellor of the Ohio Board of Regents, has been helping Ohio families save for a college education. Ohio was one of the first states to offer a Section 529 qualified tuition program. 529 plans are tax-advantaged college savings programs offered by states or eligible educational institutions and have fast become one of the most popular ways to save for college.

The Tuition Trust offers and administers Ohio's CollegeAdvantage 529 Savings Plan. CollegeAdvantage is offered directly through the Tuition Trust (direct plan) and is also offered through financial professionals (advisor plan). Both plans offer a wide variety of investment options in order to appeal to the diverse needs of families saving for college. There are options for risk-averse savers seeking to minimize risk and preserve principal, and options for experienced investors seeking to maximize returns by investing in domestic and international equities.

The CollegeAdvantage direct plan offers investment options from leading fund managers such as The Vanguard Group, PIMCO, OppenheimerFunds, GE Asset Management and Fifth Third Bank, which offers FDIC-insured savings account and CD options. Mutual fund-based Investment options include age-based options that allocate your investment based on the age of your child and your risk profile, balanced multi-fund options, individual fixed-income (bond) and equity (stock) options. Bank options include traditional savings accounts and CDs.

The CollegeAdvantage advisor plans are managed by Putnam Investments and BlackRock, and are available only through financial advisors. Putnam CollegeAdvantage offers a diverse range of quality Putnam investment options as well as investment choices managed by other leading fund managers such as Fidelity Investments and Davis. BlackRock CollegeAdvantage offers investment choices from BlackRock, Rainier, Wells Fargo and ING Funds.

Ohio Tuition Trust Authority Board
An 11-member board oversees the investments of the Ohio Tuition Trust Authority. The Governor of the state of Ohio appoints six members, one representing state institutions of higher education located in the state of Ohio, one representing private colleges and universities located in the state of Ohio, one having experience in the field of marketing or public relations, one having experience in the field of information systems design or management, and two having experience in the field of banking, investment banking, marketing, insurance or law.

The Speaker of the House of Representatives of the state of Ohio and the President of the Senate of the state of Ohio each appoints one member of the respective legislative body from each political party.

Ohio Tuition Trust Authority Board

Sen. Mark D. Wagoner, Jr., Co-Chairman
State Senator, 2nd District
Rep. Stephen Dyer, Co-Chairman
State Representative, 43rd District
Sen. Fred Strahorn, Board Member
State Senator, 5th District
Rep. W. Scott Oelslager, Board Member
State Representative, 15th District
Chancellor Eric D. Fingerhut, Executive Committee Chairman
Richard M. Norman, Board Member
Jonathan M. Petuchowski, Board Member
Thomas L. Conlan, Jr., Board Member
Jonathan C. Ivec, Board Member
Lisa M. Chambers, Board Member
Chas Withers, Board Member

Working at the Tuition Trust
Employment opportunities may be accessed online at the state of Ohio employment Web page.

The Ohio Tuition Trust Authority is located just south of Downtown Columbus, in historic German Village. The Tuition Trust employs 47 staff members in the areas of Operations, Finance, Information Technology, Administration and Marketing. We believe that employment with the Tuition Trust should be mutually rewarding and we offer the tools needed to succeed both personally and professionally. Associates are encouraged to continually enhance their knowledge and skills through ongoing educational opportunities and training. We strive to offer an excellent working environment and benefits, in order for our employees to offer the highest quality service to our customers.

Contact information for Human Resources: hr@collegeadvantage.com

Public Records Policy
All public records requests must be reviewed by the Ohio Tuition Trust Authority General Counsel prior to any information being provided to the requestor. Public Records Policy

If you are not an Ohio taxpayer, before you invest, consider whether your home state offers a 529 plan that provides its taxpayers with state tax or other benefits not available through this plan.

CollegeAdvantage is a 529 college savings plan offered and administered by the Ohio Tuition Trust Authority (OTTA). OTTA has overall responsibility for the day-to-day operations of the Direct program, including record-keeping and transfer agency services.

CollegeAdvantage Direct is described in the current Offering Statement and Participation Agreement, which includes investment objectives, risks, charges, expenses, and other important information; read and consider it carefully before opening an account.

OTTA also sponsors and provides oversight of the CollegeAdvantage Advisor plan offered by BlackRock. The BlackRock CollegeAdvantage advisor plan is described in the BlackRock CollegeAdvantage Offering Statement and Participation Agreement, which includes investment objectives, risks, charges, expenses, and other important information; read and consider it carefully before opening an account.

Any investment in a CollegeAdvantage mutual fund-based investment option is not insured or guaranteed by the FDIC or any other governmental agency or other party, including the state of Ohio, OTTA or any of the mutual fund firms under contract with OTTA. Any investment in a Fifth Third investment option, however, is insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), up to the limits set by the FDIC. An investment in a CollegeAdvantage mutual fund investment option is not a direct investment in a mutual fund itself. Except for the Fifth Third investment options, participants assume all investment risk of an investment in CollegeAdvantage, including the potential loss of principal. Regular investing does not ensure a profit or protect against a loss in a declining market. The amount actually available for withdrawal will depend on the investment performance of the investment options chosen.

© 2010, Ohio Tuition Trust Authority. The OTTA silhouette logo, Ohio Tuition Trust Authority and CollegeAdvantage are registered trademarks of the Ohio Tuition Trust Authority. If you have questions, please call us at 1-800-AFFORD-IT (233-6734) Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. EST.