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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]DH has a PhD —a RESEARCH degree—and you guys didn’t google this a tiny bit over the last 3-10 years??[/quote]
OP, I’d love to know the answer to this question.  And also, you found your way to DCUM. Did you never check the College and University forum? You are getting good advice here about financing college, but it sounds like you also have very unrealistic expectations of where your rising senior is likely to end up, high stats notwithstanding. You need to head there for a reality check after you’ve come to terms with the advice here. [/quote]

OP again. Lots of interesting insights and feedback, which my family and I appreciate. Here are some takeaways:

1. We are apparently below average savers and really dropped the ball on the 529 front.

2. Tapping home equity, applying for parent loans, and pulling from retirement are techniques no one seems to use, so we’re eliminating these from consideration.

3. Our HHI is high enough that most seem to think – including college net price calculators – that we can absorb this cost as a matter of cash flow management.

4. Many recommend that we consider less expensive schools. Perhaps, if it just so happens to work out this way. But, we are committed to sending both of our kids to the absolute best schools they can attend and cost will not be a determining factor.

Here is the plan for the estimated $640K we think we will need starting in 3Q2023 and running through 4Q2028 (63 months) so we have full funding available just after DC#2 enters her senior year of college.

1. We have $173K in 529s now, which we believe we can grow to $190K before it gets withdrawn. [b]This leaves $450K remaining.[/b]

2. We are currently saving $1K/month for 529 contributions. We’ll simply continue for the next 75 months. This is another $75K (ignoring interest and investment compounding) and now [b]leaves $375K remaining.[/b]

3. Our annual bonuses ($60K) are pretty reliable and are currently spent entirely on travel and other discretionary purchases. Easily redirected, as this is on top of monthly travel ($1K) and discretionary ($1K) budgets taken from our base HHI. We’ll have seven bonuses between now and 4Q2028. These work out to be around $33K net each, which is another $231K. [b]This leaves $144K remaining.[/b]

4. DH just started receiving ISOs and RSUs and these vest monthly and quarterly, respectively. Each RSU grant is worth about $7K at today’s stock price (which, BTW, is a small-cap high-tech growth trading at a value that is 66% of what it was in November 2021). Each ISO grant is worth about $2K today. We’ll have 75 ISO and 18 RSU grants between now and 4Q2028. This is another $276K gross or at least $152K net. [b]This leaves $0 remaining.[/b] As an added hedge, if the stock returns to its November 2021 value prior to 4Q2028 (which seems very likely), the RSUs will be worth $104K net while the ISOs should be worth at least $227K net, which is an [b]extra 180K we can push to savings[/b], if needed, or to cover unforeseen expenses or cost escalation elsewhere. [/quote]

Since you have a shorter time frame with the older child, you probably should be more conservative with how that 529 is currently invested. The stock market is currently recovering, but that trajectory isn’t certain in the short term. [/quote]

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