Creating an account is straightforward. There are five steps you'll need to complete to create your Backpack account.

A Backpack account should be created by either the 529 plan owner (often a parent or grandparent) or the beneficiary (typically the student). It's up to your family's situation.

Keep in mind: Some 529 plans require the account owner to initiate withdrawals, while others offer automated withdrawals all from within your Backpack account.

Search for and select your university, then click Get Started.

Next, select your 529 College Savings Plan from the list. If you don't have a 529 plan, or you have a prepaid tuition plan instead, check the matching box. You'll need to make a selection here before you can continue, since this is now a required step.

💡 Have a Prepaid Tuition Plan? You most likely won't need a Backpack account at all. Learn more about paying with a Prepaid Tuition Plan.

💡 Told to sign in and pay through your 529 plan's own portal instead? Some 529 plan and university combinations support paying directly through the plan's portal, no Backpack account needed. Learn more about Direct Pay 529 Plans.

Enter your US phone number to continue creating your account. We will send you a verification code to verify the number is yours.

Next, enter your email address. We use this to keep you updated about your account and any important notices. We no longer send a verification code to confirm your email, so once you've entered it, just click Continue.

First, let us know which best describes you: Parent or Guardian, Grandparent, Student, or Other. Use your own legal name, date of birth, and address in the steps that follow, not your student's, since this is used to verify the account holder.

We partner with a third party verification service called Persona to verify your identity - we need to do this for legal and regulatory reasons, but it also helps us keep your account secure!

If you still have questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to our support team, either through our live chat or email us at [email protected].

Once your identity is confirmed, click to finish signing up and create your account. You'll be redirected to your Backpack dashboard and guided through how to set up a student(s) and make a payment.