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[quote=Anonymous]I have 3 kids who are spaced out in age and decent but not unlimited funds.  Our first will go to college in 2 years.  We're handling it like this: we decided we would fund the approximately cost of an in-state public school for each of our kids. We estimate this is around 30-35 K and that we can cash flow about 15k of that each year she's in school, so that leaves us needing 80k in a 529 plan for her. We almost at that point in her account, so extra savings go in the next kids' funds.  I think if you estimate a rough goal (like our fund total in-state public costs for each kid, or if you have less, fund tuition at an in-state public) and think of the 529 plan and cash flow during the college years in tandem, it's a relatively easy to balance things out. Like if one kid's fund happens in a stock market boom, you just cash flow less and use the savings to fill up the next kid's account (or spend on other stuff if they are the youngest).

That is  what we can reasonably handle when we look at our financial picture, savings rate and the estimating gains in investments--and it will likely mean different dollar amounts for each kid depending on inflation, which (if any) in-state public school they attend.  We're in VA so that price will vary if they choose to go to, say JMU (currently around 26K total cost of attendance) or W&M (nearly 39k cost of attendance in state).   If a kid wants to go to W&M she may have to take on a work/study job, add summer savings, and prior savings and maybe take on a small amount of debt.  If she chooses out of state or private, she'll get that same 30-35k so she'll need to find merit aid or hope that financial aid supplements our contribution.  But if one kids opts for W&M and the other for JMU it's not like I feel the JMU student deserves 13k more a year because her school was cheaper. They wanted, needed and valued different things.  I think trying to "even things out" between your kids on a dollar level goes down a weird road, but thinking ahead to what you can reasonably manage that seems equitable across children and letting them know that is the plan is the best you can do.

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