This guide, designed for college-bound students and parents but also useful to counselors and other practitioners, provides information and a variety of practical strategies for anticipating, evaluating, and meeting college costs. An introductory section discusses the reality of college costs and the family's role in general terms. The next chapter addresses in more specific terms, the challenge to parents (including expectations, ability and responsibility to pay, tuition trends, the middle-class dilemma, and financial planning needs). Subsequent chapters discuss government financial aid and the role that colleges and students play, private sources of funding, techniques for building a college nest-egg, loan programs and the related issue of debt, the student's own contribution, and finding bargains in colleges and universities. The final chapter discusses whether a college education is worth the financial outlay. Contains approximately 100 references. (MSE)