<p>There are 12 years between our oldest and youngest child. We had a set amount for S1 in a 529, roughly equal to our state flagship. Anything he needed above that amount was his to earn through merit awards or employment. He received 40% merit to a small LAC. 7 years later, D1 had the same deal, but her total was adjusted for inflation plus a little more to equal the flagship COA. She is at the same LAC with a 50% merit scholarship. In 2016, D2 will attend somewhere. She is not the student her older sibs are, so while she will have the same amount of inflation-adjusted money available, H and I are not willing to spend that on her undergrad. She may end up at a lower tier LAC or a directional U. Time will tell how that plays out, but surprisingly, D2 is okay with this. Our college list for her is much different than her sibs’.</p>