Illinois First Steps

Claim Your Illinois First Steps Seed Deposit

To get started with your claim, please provide responses to the questions below:

1) Was the Beneficiary of your Illinois 529 account born or adopted on or after January 1, 2023?
2) Was the parent of the Beneficiary a resident of Illinois at the time of the eligible child’s birth or adoption?

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

  1. Child named as the Beneficiary of the Illinois 529 account was born or adopted on or after January 1, 2023
  2. Parent must be a resident of Illinois at the time of birth or adoption of the eligible child
  3. Account Owner of the Illinois 529 account is the parent or legal guardian of the child

You can still open an account and make contributions of your own to help your child reach their educational goals. Establish a Bright Start account or visit with your financial advisor about Bright Directions. Get started today!