Mary Altimus of Coeur d'Alene wants her children to go to graduate college without having to pay off student loans. She has been saving for their college since they were born.

When she heard about IDeal, the Idaho college savings program, she thought it was too good to be true. She easily navigated the online signup and now has a chunk of money deducted from her paycheck each month to fund her kids’ accounts.

“I’m 49 and have friends who are still paying off their student loans,” Altimus said. “I was fortunate enough to have my college paid for and I want to turn around and do that for my boys.”

IDeal — Idaho 529 College Saving Program, called “IDeal” for short, was launched in 2001 by the Idaho Legislature and has helped 37,500 people save money for college.

Last year, IDeal launched a “social sharing” program so friends and family members of account holders can also donate to their student’s college fund. For donors who live in Idaho, donations are tax deductible.

“Saving for college is something that you don’t have to do on your own,” said IDeal Executive Director Christine Stoll. “When you give the gift of college savings, you’re telling the recipient that you believe they have a future in higher education.”

Account holders can send anyone a code via email or social media that allows them to make a donation.

So far in 2016, IDeal’s 29,295 current account holders have received more than $1.1 million in gifted funds. With the holiday season fast approaching, IDeal is reminding families that college savings is an incredibly meaningful gift, and now it’s easier than ever to give.

Unlike other investment accounts, IDeal donations are only tax deductible through the calendar year, not the tax year. So, in order to benefit from the 2016 tax deduction, people must make their donations by Dec. 31.

Idaho donor and account holders alike are eligible for Idaho tax deductions of up to $4,000 per year, $8,000 if married and filing jointly. Also, any funds withdrawn by an account holder are not subject to state or federal tax if used on qualified expenses.

Idahoans are opening more college savings accounts than in past years. Last year, the total number of IDeal account holders rose statewide by approximately 8 percent, far surpassing the 3.6 percent growth in account holders nationally.

In Kootenai County, IDeal account ownership also grew by 8 percent last year, on par with statewide trends. Stoll said she hopes to see similar growth for the county by the end of 2016.

There are currently 2,071 active IDeal accounts in Kootenai County.

Anyone older than 18 can open an account with IDeal with a minimum payment of $25. Even people out of state can open an account, they just won't get the Idaho tax deduction. Each account can only benefit one person, but each person or family can have multiple accounts.

The money in IDeal accounts can only be used for college-related expenses including tuition, mandatory fees, room and board, school books and supplies, internet access and computer software. Unused money can be transferred to other accounts.

To sign up for a college savings account through IDeal, visit www.idsaves.org.