WISCONSIN

Wisconsin Edvest College Savings Program

Type: Savings, with prepaid (tuition units) option

Phone: 888-338-3789

State tax deduction for residents: Up to $3,000 per child per year

Open to nonresidents: Yes

Refund provisions: Penalty of 10% of earnings

Minimum/maximum contributions: $250 / $246,000

Other: Similar program, called Tomorrow's Scholar, offered through American Express advisers

Wisconsin's plan, managed by Strong Capital Management, offers seven investment options (an age-based portfolio and six fixed protfolios). The age-based portfolio is 90% in stocks until about age 8 and reaches a 50/50 mix of stocks and bonds at about age 12. Other fund choices are a Legg Mason stock fund, a Vanguard stock index fund, a Strong aggressive portfolio that's 90% stocks/10% bond funds, a 70% stock/30% bond fund, Vanguard Wellington fund, a 50% stock/50% bond fund and two 100% bond funds.

As a result of Strong's alleged wrongdoings, Wisconsin has asked the fund manager to reimburse investors for costs related to market timing and plans to add investment options from other fund managers.

Asset-based management fees range from 0.25% to 0.4%, and fees for the underlying funds range from 0.4% to 1.02%. There's also a $10 enrollment fee and a $10 annual maintenance fee, waived with automatic contributions or a $25,000 balance.

State College Savings Plans