As used in this chapter, unless the context requires a different meaning:

"ABLE savings trust account" means an account established pursuant to this chapter to assist individuals and families to save private funds to support individuals with disabilities to maintain health, independence, and quality of life, with such account used to apply distributions for qualified disability expenses for an eligible individual, as both such terms are defined in § 529A of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or other applicable federal law.

"Board" means the governing board of the Plan.

"College savings trust account" means an account established pursuant to this chapter to assist individuals and families to enhance the accessibility and affordability of higher education, with such account used to apply distributions from the account toward qualified higher education expenses, as that term is defined in § 529 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or other applicable federal law.

"Contributor" means a person who contributes money to a savings trust account established pursuant to this chapter on behalf of a qualified beneficiary and who is listed as the owner of the savings trust account.

"Non-Virginia public and accredited nonprofit independent or private institutions of higher education" means public and accredited nonprofit independent or private institutions of higher education that are located outside the Commonwealth.

"Plan" means the Virginia College Savings Plan.

"Prepaid tuition contract" means the contract or account entered into by the board and a purchaser pursuant to this chapter for the advance payment of tuition at a fixed, guaranteed level for a qualified beneficiary to attend any public institution of higher education to which the qualified beneficiary is admitted.

"Public institution of higher education" has the same meaning as provided in § 23.1-100.

"Purchaser" means a person who makes or is obligated to make advance payments in accordance with a prepaid tuition contract and who is listed as the owner of the prepaid tuition contract.

"Qualified beneficiary" or "beneficiary" means (i) a resident of the Commonwealth, as determined by the board, who is the beneficiary of a prepaid tuition contract and who may apply advance tuition payments to tuition as set forth in this chapter; (ii) a beneficiary of a prepaid tuition contract purchased by a resident of the Commonwealth, as determined by the board, who may apply advance tuition payments to tuition as set forth in this chapter; or (iii) a beneficiary of a savings trust account established pursuant to this chapter.

"Savings trust account" means an ABLE savings trust account or a college savings trust account.

"Savings trust agreement" means the agreement entered into by the board and a contributor that establishes a savings trust account.

"Tuition" means the quarter, semester, or term charges imposed for undergraduate tuition by any public institution of higher education and all mandatory fees required as a condition of enrollment of all students. At the discretion of the board, a beneficiary may apply benefits under a prepaid tuition contract and distributions from a college savings trust account (i) toward graduate-level tuition and (ii) toward qualified higher education expenses, as that term is defined in 26 U.S.C. § 529 or any other applicable section of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.

1994, c. 661, § 23-38.75; 1997, cc. 785, 861; 1998, cc. 61, 85; 1999, cc. 485, 518; 2000, cc. 382, 400; 2015, cc. 227, 311; 2016, c. 588; 2019, cc. 803, 804.