New changes happening to the CSA!

A Partnership with the Washington Student Achievement Council 

Tacoma Housing Authority’s CSA Program will now partner with The Washington Student Achievement Council (WSAC). This helps the program evolve into a new, better way to save!

What is the Guaranteed Education Tuition (GET) Program? How Will it Help my Family Save?  

The GET program is a Washington 529 college savings plan.

The savings in a GET account grow tax-free and remain tax-free when your child uses it for a variety of education expenses at schools in the U.S. and even abroad. Washington State then guarantees that the value of the account will keep pace with tuition growth of the highest priced Washington public college (UW and WSU). Your child can attend any public, private, community, technical/vocation school in the U.S. and even schools abroad and use their funds to pay for a variety of education expenses.

You can make contributions to an account at any time, in any amount. The most effective way to see your savings grow is to routinely deposit whatever amount you are comfortable with and plan to increase it as you can. Every dollar saved is less a student borrows. In this way, the GET accounts act much like those in our traditional CSA program but with the added feature of a guaranteed value for education expenses that will keep pace with inflation and rising costs.

More information can be found on the GET website.

What You Need to do:

For current CSA students who enrolled before October 31, 2020:

• You must fill out the section below letting us know if you choose to stay in the CSA program or want to withdraw.
• Follow instructions to enroll into the GET listed below.
• Sign the updated Participation Agreement

Not a CSA participant but want to enroll in the program?

The CSA program currently accepts students who live in Salishan and are in grades K-11th  grade. Follow instructions below to enroll into the GET.

We are in the middle of improving the program. Please keep in mind that the following are subject to change for newly enrolled students (after November 1, 2020):

• Maximum THA dollars awarded per student
• Incentive awards
• Eligibility

Our goal is to have all program changes finalized by summer of 2021.

Only complete this section if your student enrolled in the CSA before 10/31/2020: 

Please complete one form for each student in the CSA program 

Instructions for the GET enrollment: 

Prepare the following: 

Who will be the account owner (decision maker for the account)? 

• Account owner’s name, address, phone number, date of birth, and social security number 

Who will be the beneficiary (student that will use these funds)?  

• Student’s name, address, phone number, date of birth and social security number 

If you are filling out a paper form you must list the Tacoma Housing Authority as the Information Release Person in order to receive THA funds. 

• Tacoma Housing Authority: 902 S. L St. Tacoma, WA 98405; (253) 354-9699 

Who will be the account owner survivor (this is a person who will take over as the account owner if the current account owner passes away)? 

• Account owner survivor name, address, phone number, date of birth 

 To register with the GET Program online go here: https://wastate529.wa.gov/get-started

Questions or need help enrolling? 

• • THA Program Specialist – Marty Higgins, mhiggins@tacomahousing.org or (253) 345-9699 
  • GET Specialist – Jackie Ferrado, JackieF@wsac.wa.gov or (360) 753-7875