Fees & Expenses

The information below describes the fees and expenses that you would pay if you contribute to a particular investment portfolio in ScholarShare 529. 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.

Passive Enrollment Year Portfolios

Investment Portfolio Plan Manager Fee(1)(2) Board Administrative Fee(1)(3) Estimated Expenses of an Investment Portfolio's Underlying Investments(4) Total Annual Asset-Based Fees(5)
2040/2041 Enrollment Portfolio Passive 0.01% 0.00% 0.06% 0.07%
2038/2039 Enrollment Portfolio Passive 0.01% 0.00% 0.06% 0.07%
2036/2037 Enrollment Portfolio Passive 0.01% 0.00% 0.07% 0.08%
2034/2035 Enrollment Portfolio Passive 0.01% 0.00% 0.07% 0.08%
2032/2033 Enrollment Portfolio Passive 0.01% 0.00% 0.07% 0.08%
2030/2031 Enrollment Portfolio Passive 0.01% 0.00% 0.07% 0.08%
2028/2029 Enrollment Portfolio Passive 0.01% 0.00% 0.07% 0.08%
2026/2027 Enrollment Portfolio Passive 0.01% 0.00% 0.05% 0.06%
2024/2025 Enrollment Portfolio Passive 0.01% 0.00% 0.04% 0.05%
Enrollment Year Portfolio Passive 0.01% 0.00% 0.03% 0.04%

Active Enrollment Year Portfolios

Investment Portfolio Plan Manager Fee(1)(2) Board Administrative Fee(1)(3) Estimated Expenses of an Investment Portfolio's Underlying Investments(4) Total Annual Asset-Based Fees(5)
2040/2041 Enrollment Portfolio Active 0.01% 0.04% 0.32% 0.37%
2038/2039 Enrollment Portfolio Active 0.01% 0.04% 0.32% 0.37%
2036/2037 Enrollment Portfolio Active 0.01% 0.04% 0.32% 0.37%
2034/2035 Enrollment Portfolio Active 0.01% 0.04% 0.32% 0.37%
2032/2033 Enrollment Portfolio Active 0.01% 0.04% 0.33% 0.38%
2030/2031 Enrollment Portfolio Active 0.01% 0.04% 0.33% 0.38%
2028/2029 Enrollment Portfolio Active 0.01% 0.04% 0.33% 0.38%
2026/2027 Enrollment Portfolio Active 0.01% 0.04% 0.29% 0.34%
2024/2025 Enrollment Portfolio Active 0.01% 0.04% 0.21% 0.26%
Enrollment Year Portfolio Active 0.01% 0.04% 0.19% 0.24%

ESG Enrollment Year Portfolios(6)(7)

Investment Portfolio Plan Manager Fee(1)(2) Board Administrative Fee(1)(3) Estimated Expenses of an Investment Portfolio's Underlying Investments(4) Total Annual Asset-Based Fees(5)
2040/2041 Enrollment Portfolio ESG 0.01% 0.04% 0.22% 0.27%
2038/2039 Enrollment Portfolio ESG 0.01% 0.04% 0.22% 0.27%
2036/2037 Enrollment Portfolio ESG 0.01% 0.04% 0.22% 0.27%
2034/2035 Enrollment Portfolio ESG 0.01% 0.04% 0.22% 0.27%
2032/2033 Enrollment Portfolio ESG 0.01% 0.04% 0.21% 0.26%
2030/2031 Enrollment Portfolio ESG 0.01% 0.04% 0.21% 0.26%
2028/2029 Enrollment Portfolio ESG 0.01% 0.04% 0.19% 0.24%
2026/2027 Enrollment Portfolio ESG 0.01% 0.04% 0.15% 0.20%
2024/2025 Enrollment Portfolio ESG 0.01% 0.04% 0.11% 0.16%
Enrollment Year Portfolio ESG 0.01% 0.04% 0.10% 0.15%
  1. 1Although the Plan Manager Fee and the Board Administrative Fee, if any, are deducted from an Investment Portfolio, not from your Account, each Account in the Investment Portfolio indirectly bears its pro rata share of the Plan Manager Fee and the Board Administrative Fee as these fees reduce the Investment Portfolio's return.↩
  2. 2Each Investment Portfolio pays the Plan Manager a fee at an annual rate of 0.01% of the average daily net assets held by that Investment Portfolio.↩
  3. 3Each Investment Portfolio pays to the Board a fee equal to 0.04% of the average daily net assets held by such Investment Portfolios to pay for expenses related to the administration of the Plan. Currently, certain portfolios, noted as Index or Passive portfolios, have their Board Administrative Fee waived.↩
  4. 4The percentages set forth in this column are based on the expense ratios of the mutual funds or ETFs in which an Investment Portfolio invests. The amounts are calculated using the expense ratio reported in each fund’s prospectus effective as of the date this Plan Description was finalized for printing, 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 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 mutual funds or ETFs in which the Investment Portfolios invest plus the fees paid to the Plan Manager and to the Board.↩
  6. 6Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Underlying Funds may be actively or passively managed.↩
  7. 7These Portfolios invest all or 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.↩

Active Portfolios

Investment Portfolio Plan Manager Fee(1)(2) Board Administrative Fee(1)(3) Estimated Expenses of an Investment Portfolio's Underlying Investments(4) Total Annual Asset-Based Fees(5)
Active Conservative Portfolio 0.01% 0.04% 0.19% 0.24%
Active Diversified Equity Portfolio 0.01% 0.04% 0.31% 0.36%
Active Growth Portfolio 0.01% 0.04% 0.34% 0.39%
Active International Equity Portfolio 0.01% 0.04% 0.21% 0.26%
International Responsible Equity Portfolio 0.01% 0.04% 0.37% 0.42%
Large Cap Responsible Equity Portfolio 0.01% 0.04% 0.18% 0.23%

Passive Portfolios

Investment Portfolio Plan Manager Fee(1)(2) Board Administrative Fee(1)(3) Estimated Expenses of an Investment Portfolio's Underlying Investments(4) Total Annual Asset-Based Fees(5)
ESG Bond Portfolio(6) 0.01% 0.04% 0.16% 0.21%
Index Bond Portfolio 0.01% 0.00% 0.07% 0.08%
Index International Equity Portfolio 0.01% 0.00% 0.07% 0.08%
Index U.S. Equity Portfolio 0.01% 0.00% 0.05% 0.06%
Passive Conservative Portfolio 0.01% 0.00% 0.04% 0.05%
Passive Diversified Equity Portfolio 0.01% 0.00% 0.06% 0.07%
Passive Growth Portfolio 0.01% 0.00% 0.06% 0.07%
  1. 1Although the Plan Manager Fee and the Board Administrative Fee, if any, are deducted from an Investment Portfolio, not from your Account, each Account in the Investment Portfolio indirectly bears its pro rata share of the Plan Manager Fee and the Board Administrative Fee as these fees reduce the Investment Portfolio's return.↩
  2. 2Each Investment Portfolio pays the Plan Manager a fee at an annual rate of 0.01% of the average daily net assets held by that Investment Portfolio.↩
  3. 3Each Investment Portfolio pays to the Board a fee equal to 0.04% of the average daily net assets held by such Investment Portfolios to pay for expenses related to the administration of the Plan. Currently, certain portfolios, noted as Index or Passive portfolios, have their Board Administrative Fee waived.↩
  4. 4The percentages set forth in this column are based on the expense ratios of the mutual funds or ETFs in which an Investment Portfolio invests. The amounts are calculated using the expense ratio reported in each fund’s prospectus effective as of the date this Plan Description was finalized for printing, 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 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 mutual funds or ETFs in which the Investment Portfolios invest plus the fees paid to the Plan Manager and to the Board.↩
  6. 6These Portfolios invest all or 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 Board Administrative Fee Estimated Expenses of an Investment Portfolio's Underlying Investments Total Annual Asset-Based Fees
Principal Plus Interest Portfolio(1) N/A N/A N/A N/A
  1. 1The Principal Plus Interest Portfolio does not pay a Plan Manager Fee or a Board Administrative Fee. TIAA-CREF Life Insurance Company ("TIAA-CREF Life"), the issuer of the funding agreement in which this Investment Portfolio invests and an affiliate of TFI, makes payments to the Plan Manager. TIAA-CREF Life also pays the Board a fee, equal to 0.05% of the average daily net assets held by the Principal Plus Interest Portfolio. These payments, among many other factors, are considered by the issuer when determining the interest rate(s) credited under the funding agreement.↩