For many it's a value question, "Is college worth it". However, when one has a child, if college is something that is already in in the cards, then the process of saving for college needs to begin right away. Families need to become aware that the cost of college will most likely be the largest expenditure that they will have in their lifetimes. Media ads, however, concentrate on retirement, we are told to max out the 401k's, IRA's etc. But here's some news for those parents who participate in their company's retirement plans: the cost of college is coming sooner, much sooner than retirement. If parents save money on college, they will have more for retirement. The burden should not be on the student, although it might be wise for the student to have some "skin in the game". If savings begins earlier, the question of whether a parent should pay for college will not seem as significant when the time for applying to college rolls around.
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