Vermont Statutes
Chapter 87 - Grants, Scholarships, and Education Loan Programs
§ 2878. Participation agreements for Investment Plan

§ 2878. Participation agreements for Investment Plan
The Corporation shall have the authority to enter into Investment Plan participation agreements with participants pursuant to the provisions of this subchapter, including the following terms and agreements:
(1) A participation agreement shall stipulate the terms and conditions of the Investment Plan to which the participant makes contributions.
(2) A participation agreement shall clearly specify the method for calculating the return on the various investment options available and shall reference the relevant expenses and other pertinent information about the account.
(3) The execution of a participation agreement by the Corporation shall not guarantee in any way that postsecondary education costs will be equal to projections and estimates provided by the Corporation or that the beneficiary named in any participation agreement will be admitted to an institution of postsecondary education.
(4) A participation agreement shall clearly and prominently disclose to participants the risks associated with the various investment options available under the applicable Investment Plan.
(5) Participation agreements shall be organized and presented in a way and with language that is easily understandable by the general public. A participation agreement shall clearly and prominently disclose to participants that the Corporation, the State, and any other governmental entity are not liable for, nor guarantee the return of or on the participant’s contributions to an Investment Plan. A participation agreement shall also clearly and prominently disclose to participants the existence of any load charge or similar charge assessed against the accounts of the participants for administration, operation, or services. No fee or similar charge may be imposed with regard to an investment managed by the Corporation. Any fee, load, or similar charge with regard to any investment not managed by the Corporation shall be no greater than the cost determined by the Corporation to be required to administer the investment. The cost of originating and servicing any education loans made or acquired pursuant to participation agreements shall not be considered as load charges or similar charges.
(6) Any investment advisory or management contract used with respect to a participation agreement shall be competitively bid pursuant to guidelines established by the Secretary of Administration. (Added 1997, No. 79 (Adj. Sess.), § 1, eff. July 1, 1997; amended 2001, No. 58, § 4, eff. June 16, 2001; 2019, No. 154 (Adj. Sess.), § E.605.4, eff. Oct. 2, 2020.)

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