Illinois First Steps

Claim Your Illinois First Steps Seed Deposit

To Get Started With Your Claim

Please provide responses to the questions below:

1) Are you the Parent or Legal Guardian of the Beneficiary? (Grandparents, other relatives, and friends are not eligible to submit a claim.)
2) Were you a resident of the state of Illinois at the time of birth or adoption of the Beneficiary and at the time of claim submission?
3) Was the Beneficiary born or adopted on or after January 1, 2023?
4) Is the Beneficiary under the age of ten (10)?

Claim Submission Unsuccessful

We’re sorry, your claim cannot be submitted. Please review the Illinois First Steps eligibility requirements below:

  1. The Account Owner of this Bright Directions 529 account must be the parent or legal guardian of the child.
  2. The parent or legal guardian must be a resident of Illinois at the time of birth or adoption and at the time of claim submission.
  3. The child named as the Beneficiary of this Bright Directions 529 account must be born or adopted on or after January 1, 2023.
  4. The parent or legal guardian must submit the claim before the child’s 10th birthday.

If you’re not eligible for the seed deposit, you can still make contributions to your Bright Directions 529 account to help your child reach their educational goals.