At a recent college financial aid session on the campus of a small, private liberal arts college, the financial aid director told a room of parents of nearly 200 students that the primary responsibility of paying more than $30,000 per year in tuition for the next six years of the pharmacy program was theirs. Each of these families was going to have to come up with a means to fund a $180,000 education, not to mention the cost of housing, transportation, books and the necessary incidentals that mark college life. The financial aid director asked how many had the money saved and were ready to handle the burden this would place on their families. A wave of nervous laughter, a sound somewhere between hysterics and despair filled the room.

The financial aid director's point, is that the burden of funding a college education is that of the child's parent. While there are many sources of funding that may be available to the student and the parents, there is no guarantee that these sources will be available when your child is ready for college. The only way to guarantee that your child can attend college is to fund it yourself.

So, how do you fund your child's education on your own? The most important key is to start early. Many parents elect to start saving for their child's or children's' educations from the day they are born, and some even earlier than that. Every penny you save now, will be one less penny you have to try to come up with when your child gets to college. Keep in mind that your child can save for college as well. Setting aside a separate savings account for your child to deposit earnings from allowance, odd jobs, and formal work experiences is a great idea to introduce them to the concept of financial planning and investment. You might even consider allowing your child the opportunity to invest their money in the stock market or mutual funds using one of the investment programs named below. This is a great (and fun!) way to talk to your kids about finances and savings and start them down a life long path of responsible savings and investment.

If you've decided that you want to fund all, or at least a major part, of your child's education on your own and you want to start saving, there are many options available to you. Let's take a look at some of those options:

*Savings Accounts - The simplest method to save for your child's education is using a basic savings account. Keep in mind that this offers a very low rate of return on your money so while you may be contributing to the account, you're not going to realize the benefits of compound interest and other advantages investing in other types of financial products. The typical savings interest rate is somewhere around 2.5%, whereas money markets and CDs are typically around 5%. Bonds can be as low as 6% and as high as 9%.

*Money Market Accounts, Certificates of Deposits(CDs), and Bonds: In contrast to a savings account, money in these types of investments is often tied up for a bit more time (or in the case of a money market account you have to maintain a certain balance at all times) so if an emergency arises and you have to get to this money you won't be able to do so as easily. Money Markets and Bonds are fairly liquid, but CDs typically require that you maintain your money in the account for a minimum of six months to a year.

*529 Plans - A 529 plan is a special type of investment account specifically designed to allow for the prepayment of higher education expenses. Many different financial institutions offer 529 plans and your employer may also offer a 529 investment plan to you as a part of your benefits program. Keep in mind that you don't want to overpay a 529 plan because the money must be spent on qualified higher education expenses at an eligible institution, so it's important to do your homework up front on these types of plans.

*Stocks and Mutual Funds - If you're willing to take on a bit more risk for the possibility of a far greater return on investment, then stocks and mutual funds may be good investment decisions for you. If you're new to the world of investing, consider a program like ShareBuilder (http://www.sharebuilder.com) or the Motley Fool Investment Guide (http://www.fool.com) to get hints and tips on investing safely and intelligently. Stock and Mutual Fund investing can provide the highest returns depending on the amount of research and preparation made prior to investing. You can win big and you can lose big. Index mutual funds are advised for those new to investing.

* Life Insurance - A final basic savings option is to invest in life insurance plans and then borrow against these plans to pay for your child's education. There is a great guide to paying for education with life insurance at http://hubpages.com/hub/Funding_a_College_Education_with_Life_Insurance. This offer the added benefit of life insurance protection for your family under these policies.

Remember, if you want to guarantee that your child will have a fully funded education when he or she gets to college, the best advice is to start early. It's also important that you do not make poor funding choices like borrowing against your own retirement plans. You will need that money long after your child graduates. Your retirement account could be significantly depleted if you use it to fund your child's education.