Participation agreements; terms and conditions

The Nebraska educational savings plan trust may enter into participation agreements with participants on behalf of beneficiaries pursuant to the following terms and conditions:

(1) A participation agreement shall authorize a participant to make contributions to an account which is established for the purpose of meeting the qualified education expenses of a beneficiary as allowed by section 529 of the Internal Revenue Code. A participant shall not be required to make an annual contribution on behalf of a beneficiary, shall not be subject to minimum contribution requirements, and shall not be required to maintain a minimum account balance. The maximum contribution shall not exceed the amount allowed under section 529 of the Internal Revenue Code. The State Treasurer may set a maximum cumulative contribution, as necessary, to maintain compliance with section 529 of the Internal Revenue Code. Participation agreements may be amended to provide for adjusted levels of contributions based upon changed circumstances or changes in educational plans or to ensure compliance with section 529 of the Internal Revenue Code or any other applicable laws and regulations;

(2) Beneficiaries designated in participation agreements shall meet the requirements established by the trustee and section 529 of the Internal Revenue Code;

(3) Payment of benefits provided under participation agreements shall be made in a manner consistent with section 529 of the Internal Revenue Code;

(4) The execution of a participation agreement by the trust shall not guarantee in any way that qualified education expenses will be equal to projections and estimates provided by the trust or that the beneficiary named in any participation agreement will (a) be admitted to an eligible postsecondary educational institution or recognized postsecondary credential program, (b) if admitted, be determined a resident for tuition purposes by the eligible postsecondary educational institution or recognized postsecondary credential program, (c) be allowed to continue attendance at the eligible postsecondary educational institution or recognized postsecondary credential program following admission, or (d) graduate from the eligible postsecondary educational institution or recognized postsecondary credential program;

(5) Beginning January 1, 2029, the execution of a participation agreement by the trust shall not guarantee in any way that qualified education expenses will be equal to projections and estimates provided by the trust or that the beneficiary named in any participation agreement will (a) be admitted to an elementary or secondary school, (b) if admitted, be determined a resident for tuition purposes by the elementary or secondary school, (c) be allowed to continue attendance at the elementary or secondary school following admission, or (d) graduate from the elementary or secondary school;

(6) A beneficiary under a participation agreement may be changed as permitted under the rules and regulations adopted under sections 77-1415 to 77-1430 and consistent with section 529 of the Internal Revenue Code upon written request of the participant as long as the substitute beneficiary is eligible for participation. Participation agreements may otherwise be freely amended throughout their term in order to enable participants to increase or decrease the level of participation, change the designation of beneficiaries, and carry out similar matters as authorized by rule and regulation; and

(7) Each participation agreement shall provide that the participation agreement may be canceled upon the terms and conditions and upon payment of applicable fees and costs set forth and contained in the rules and regulations.