Determine when the savings will be needed.
A Leader in College Savings, Two Years Running!
The NJBEST 529 College Savings Plan has been awarded the prestigious 'Top of the Class' designation by Saving for College for two consecutive years—2024 and 2025. This national honor recognizes our unwavering commitment to providing New Jersey families with an outstanding, high-value plan to help them achieve their education goals.3
As a New Jersey family, NJBEST has an investment strategy designed to meet your college savings needs.
Choose the option that works best for you.
- Select a Portfolio that Automatically Adjust
- Build Your Own Portfolio
Select a Portfolio that Automatically Adjust
How does it work?
Select the Target Enrollment Portfolio that represents the date closest to the estimated date of enrollment.
Select portfolios that automatically adjust.
Helpful Hint
Most families assume their student will need their education savings at age 18. For example, if your beneficiary was born in 2019 and you anticipate they will begin college at 18 years old, they would need to use the savings in 2037 (2019+18).
If you plan to use your savings for K-12 expenses, or graduate school, you can choose an enrollment year that aligns with that timing.
The Target Enrollment Year Portfolios
The Target Enrollment Portfolios will allocate their investments—pursuant to the asset class allocations shown above (plus or minus 10%)— among investments. Please see the Program Description for a summary of the strategies of the underlying investments the Target Portfolios may invest in.
Build Your Own Portfolio
How does it work?
Choose one or more portfolios that best meet your college savings needs
Determine how much you want to invest in each
Manage your portfolio and adjust as needed1
Helpful Hint
With NJBEST, you can mix and match all of the Investment Options. Don’t worry, you can change your investment options up to two times per year.
Our Range of Portfolios
When building your own portfolio, you have access to all of the NJBEST Investment Options – objective-based portfolios, individual portfolios, and the target enrollment date portfolios. You can choose one, two or all three.
And remember, you can change your selections up to two times per year.
Objective-Based Portfolios
These portfolios allow you to invest your assets according to the amount of investment risk you’re comfortable taking and the potential return characteristics you prefer. The portfolios are periodically rebalanced to maintain allocation percentages.
Franklin Moderate Growth Allocation 529 Portfolio
Designed for investors with a medium-to-long investment time horizon and/or a moderate tolerance for risk, this balanced portfolio seeks growth with a level of income stability. It is allocated 50% in equities and 50% in fixed income.
Franklin Growth Allocation 529 Portfolio
This growth-focused portfolio is suitable for investors with a longer investment time horizon and/or a higher tolerance for risk, aiming for growth with some stability. The portfolio is allocated at 75% equities and 25% fixed income.
Franklin Aggressive Growth Allocation 529 Portfolio
This portfolio is designed for investors who have a long investment time horizon and/or a higher tolerance for risk. It seeks to maximize potential growth by allocating 100% of the portfolio to equities, with no fixed income allocation.
Individual Portfolios1
You also have the option to assemble your own portfolio, creating an asset allocation mix to suit your education investing needs.
US Equity
- Franklin U.S. Large Cap Index 529 Portfolio
- Putnam Large Cap Growth 529 Portfolio
- Putnam Large Cap Value 529 Portfolio
Non-US Equity
- ClearBridge International Growth 529 Portfolio
- iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF 529 Portfolio2
Money Market
- Franklin US Government Money 529 Portfolio
Fixed Income
- Franklin U.S. Core Bond ETF 529 Portfolio
The Target Enrollment Year Portfolios
The Target Enrollment Portfolios will allocate their investments—pursuant to the asset class allocations shown above (plus or minus 10%)— among investments. Please see the Program Description for a summary of the strategies of the underlying investments the Target Portfolios may invest in.
Ready to open an account?
Footnotes:
- You can change your investment options up to twice per year.
- The iShares Funds are distributed by BlackRock Investments, LLC (together with its affiliates, “BlackRock”). All other entities mentioned are Franklin Templeton affiliates companies.
- Source: Saving For College, awarded in September 2025. The factors Saving For College uses to examine and score each 529 plan are grouped into four categories: Performance, Ease of Use, Savings Success, and Program Delivery. A plan's four individual category scores are computed on a scale of 1 to 5 and carried out to two decimal places as displayed on the Plan Details page. The overall 529 Rating is a weighted average of these four category scores. In all of these categories, objective criteria have been established with which to compare plans, often using numerical data as the basis to evaluate a factor's score. For additional details, please refer to the official award website: https://www.savingforcollege.com/529-plan-ratings/criteria. Franklin Templeton did not pay an entry fee for the award.
All investments involve risks, including possible loss of principal. Equity securities are subject to price fluctuation and possible loss of principal. Small- and mid-cap stocks involve greater risks and volatility than large-cap stocks. International investments are subject to special risks, including currency fluctuations and social, economic and political uncertainties, which could increase volatility. These risks are magnified in emerging markets. Fixed income securities involve interest rate, credit, inflation and reinvestment risks, and possible loss of principal. As interest rates rise, the value of fixed income securities falls. Low-rated, high-yield bonds are subject to greater price volatility, illiquidity and possibility of default. Asset-backed, mortgage-backed or mortgage-related securities are subject to prepayment and extension risks, The investment style may become out of favor, which may have a negative impact on performance. To the extent the portfolio invests in a concentration of certain securities, regions or industries, it is subject to increased volatility. The manager may consider environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria in the research or investment process; however, ESG considerations may not be a determinative factor in security selection. In addition, the manager may not assess every investment for ESG criteria, and not every ESG factor may be identified or evaluated. These and other risks are discussed in the fund’s prospectus.
Government/Treasury Money Market Funds: You could lose money by investing in the fund. Although the fund seeks to preserve the value of your investment at $1.00 per share, it cannot guarantee it will do so. An investment in the fund is not a bank account and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. The fund’s sponsor is not required to reimburse the fund for losses, and you should not expect that the sponsor will provide financial support to the fund at any time, including during periods of market stress. Although the fund invests in U.S. government obligations, an investment in the fund is neither insured nor guaranteed by the U.S. government.
Investors should carefully consider plan investment goals, risks, charges and expenses before investing. To obtain the Program Description, which contains this and other information, call Franklin Distributors, LLC, the manager and underwriter for the plan, at (877) 4NJ-BEST. You should read the Program Description carefully before investing and consider whether your or the beneficiary's home state offers any state tax or other state benefits such as financial aid, scholarship funds, and protection from creditors that are only available for investments in its qualified tuition program.
NJBEST New Jersey's 529 College Savings Plan is offered and administered by the New Jersey Higher Education Student Assistance Authority (HESAA); managed and distributed by Franklin Distributors, LLC, an affiliate of Franklin Resources, Inc., which operates as Franklin Templeton.
Investments in NJBEST are not insured by the FDIC or any other government agency and are not deposits or other obligations of any depository institution. Investments are not guaranteed by the State of New Jersey, Franklin Distributors, LLC, Franklin Templeton, or its affiliates and are subject to risks, including loss of principal amount invested. Investing in the plan does not guarantee admission to any particular primary, secondary school or college, or sufficient funds for primary, secondary school or college.
This material is being provided for general informational and educational purposes and should not be considered or relied upon as legal, tax or investment advice or an investment recommendation, or as a substitute for legal or tax counsel and provided for educational and informational purposes only. Franklin Templeton does not provide legal or tax advice. Federal and state laws and regulations are complex and subject to change, which can materially impact your results. Franklin Templeton cannot guarantee that such information is accurate, complete or timely; and disclaims any liability arising out of your use of, or any tax position taken in reliance on, such information.
© 2024. Franklin Distributors, LLC. Member FINRA/SIPC.