Anyone age 18 or older can open a Jumpstart Savings account. However, to benefit most from the Jumpstart Savings Program, you or the beneficiary must:
- Be a resident of West Virginia
- Currently working (or planning to work) in a qualifying profession
Whether you work in a qualifying profession depends on the education, training, or certification programs you have completed. You work in a qualifying profession if your current or future job requires you to complete any one of the following:
- An apprenticeship program registered and certified with the United States Department of Labor or the State of West Virginia
- An associate degree or certification from a community and technical college
- A license of certification program from an Advanced Career Education (ACE) career center
- A license or certification from a career and technical education or vocational training program at a public secondary school; or
- An associate degree or certification from a school or program, authorized by the West Virginia Council for Community & Technical College Education or a similar agency in another state, to award associates degrees or technical certifications
- Complete any other apprenticeship or educational program consistent with the purposes of the program, as approved by the Board. The current list of other qualifying professions approved by the Board, regardless of educational pathway, includes:
- Professions requiring the following licenses or certifications issued by a state or federal entity:
- Contractor license
- Plumbing license
- Crane operator license
- HVAC technician license
- Electrician's license
- Landscape architect's license
- Home inspector's license
- Surveyor’s license
- Professions requiring a culinary certificate issued by the American Culinary Federation or the "ServSafe for Managers" certification issued by the National Restaurant Association.
Not sure if you can benefit? Take our quiz to find out.