A recent Gallup survey commissioned by Sallie Mae revealed that three-quarters (75%) of the 1,200 parents surveyed thought it was “highly likely” their children would be attending some form of higher education after high school. Of this group of parents, 62% (but only 32% among those with household income below $35,000) of them have saved or invested for college.

The survey found that only 33% of parents are investing in 529 savings plans, and only 20% of households earning $150,000 or more are taking advantage of them. A majority (59%) used savings, money market accounts, or CDs while 41% saved with stocks or …

It should come as no surprise to a parent that the cost of sending a child to college is an expense which continues to rise year over year. The average annual total tuition and fees at four-year public colleges and universities in 2009-10 are $6,585. Throw in room and board and the total cost climbs to $14,333. This is 6.4% higher than they were in 2007-08. As staggering as this annual increase seems, it is significantly smaller than in preceding years. This 6.4% increase follows increases of 13% in 2003-04, 10% in 2004-05, and 7.1% in 2005-06.

How does the cost at a four-year private …