[TBH]

I've been thinking about this, too. My goal is to have enough saved when my only child starts college to pay for 2 years. The other 2 years--we'll figure something out. I think we'll probably sit down and work out a balance for the last two years. I envision something like this:

25%: His dad and I pay out of pocket
25%: Our son pays from his earnings and savings (summer and high school jobs, PT work during the school year)
25%-50% of last 2 years: Our son takes out loans


I don't know. I just know if I try to save enough to cover all of it, I'll make myself crazy and I'll neglect the other, more important savings goal: retirement. My spouse will be nearly retirement age when DS goes to college, so we've got to focus on that for the next several years.

I think it would be actually quite healthy for him to take out some loans, so he values the investment we're all making in his education. But I don't want him to think he has to sell his soul to the highest bidder when he's looking for a post-college job just because he owes hundreds of thousands of dollars. And I also don't want him to have to delay the milestones of life too much because of loans--a relationship or marriage, kids, travel (within reason), going on to get a master's degree if he wants/needs that, buying a house, saving for his own retirement. I'd like to see him debt-free some time in his twenties so he can move on with his life.

We'll see if I can pull that off.