You’ve saved and invested money in a 529 plan for years to pay for your son or daughter’s college education and the college enrollment time frame is coming up in the next year. Now that you’re getting ready to enter the “529 withdrawal phase”, you’ll want to be sure to make the right decisions when taking distributions from your 529 account. Here are your top three considerations:

A college diploma opens the door to a lifetime of higher earnings. Based on Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2016 dollars, Bachelor's degree holders earn nearly $1 million more over a lifetime than those who have only a high school diploma. Those with professional degrees earn over $2 million more. In addition, college graduates enjoy much better job security and opportunity, especially during economic downturns. Based on "The State of Entry-Level Employment in the U.S. March 2017" by The Rockefeller Foundation, seven in ten U.S. employers look for college degrees when hiring entry-level workers.