Paying for the Old College Try Advice for small-business owners on how to finance your kids' college educations

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As the parent of one daughter who's a junior in college and another who will be a freshman in September, I know the cost of SAT review classes, private tutors and prep school tuition all too well. But, when it comes to college, many of us assume our kids will get grants, scholarships or low-interest student loans.

The reality can be very different. At a time when the recession is pushing down the prices of almost everything (including our businesses' products and services), the cost of college tuition is still rising. According to the College Board, the not-for-profit organization that administers the SAT and Advance Placement exams, the average cost of a four-year private college will be $26,273 this year, up 4.4 percent from the previous year, while a four-year education at a state school will rise 6.5 percent, to $7,020 a year.