You should begin planning early for college attendance. Family resources are the best means of underwriting your college education. Adequate and timely financial planning is beneficial in making your college education a reality. Your family might use a combination of savings bonds, education IRAs, personal savings, home equity loans, and current income to contribute toward college expenses. Your financial planner can offer advice on long-term savings and investment opportunities. States are also stepping in to provide the means for families to start saving early for college.

As of 1998, nearly all states offer college savings plans. The College Savings Plans Network was formed in 1991 as an affiliate of the National Association of State Treasures. This coalition of states works together to find ways to encourage families to save ahead for college. For more information about the College Savings Plans network or the National Association of State Treasurers, write to P.O. Box 11910, Lexington, KY 40578-1910 or call (606) 244-8175 or visit www.collegesavings.org. Alternative loan programs provide funds to meet the cost of education once other sources of aid have been depleted or when annual limits have been reached. These credit-based loans may require a co-signer and typically have higher interest rates than Stafford or PLUS loans. Borrow conservatively and make certain that all other sources of aid have been explored before utilizing alternative loan funds.