College Savings Plans nationwide stand to benefit significantly from a new US Department of Labor (“DOL”) promotion - National Apprenticeship Week (“NAW”) along with broad momentum behind registered apprenticeships. For State Administrators and their private sector partners, this is an opportunity worth seizing – a quintessential Hallmark moment for outreach and marketing.
Through Apprenticeship USA, the DOL is actively promoting registered apprenticeships nationwide both online and across an aggressive email campaign. This spring’s inaugural campaign, titled America at Work: Making America Skilled Again through Registered Apprenticeship, highlights the many apprenticeship programs available today as well as future growth of apprenticeship pathways.
Through the SECURE Act (2019) and H.R.1, The Budget Reconciliation Act of 2025 (also known as “One Big Beautiful Bill” and the “Working Families Tax Cuts”), Congress, respectively, expanded the definition of qualified education expenses to include registered apprenticeships and a whole host of certifications. As qualified uses for Section 529 funds have grown, interest in a wide range of programs has flourished as well. According to the American Association of Community Colleges, active enrollment in registered apprenticeships has increased by 114% over the past decade, reaching approximately 680,000 apprentices in fiscal year 2024.1 And most recently, the DOL streamlined its regulatory approval process to reduce burdens and improve transparency for program sponsors, with more growth expected ahead.2
This creates a real opportunity for State 529 Programs. According to a recent Wall Street Journal article, a single steamfitter's union apprenticeship program in Philadelphia received 609 applications for just 85 available slots.3 Families who have been hesitant to open a 529 due to concerns that funds might go unused if a child doesn't pursue a traditional four-year degree now have a much broader set of qualifying pathways. Apprenticeships in skilled trades, healthcare, technology, and advanced manufacturing are more frequently eligible, and awareness campaigns like NAW are helping drive that message to families directly.4
The DOL is expanding registered apprenticeships, and interest in apprenticeship pathways is surging. National Apprenticeship Week is a Hallmark moment the DOL created to put apprenticeships in the national spotlight. State Administrators should capitalize on this opportunity to actively promote the apprenticeship benefits available through their Programs.
1Community College Daily, "New Stats on Registered Apprenticeships"
2US Department of Labor issues guidance on Registered Apprenticeship
3They Chose Careers in the Trades and Still Wound Up With Debt
4Apprenticeship USA