Just the act of creating a plan for college savings seems to boost the odds of success, said Martha Holler, a Sallie Mae representative. Families who formulated a plan for college savings saved 46 percent more than families without a plan, the 2015 Saving for College survey found.

Parents who save for college began on average when their oldest child was 6.5 years old. The initial expenses of infancy and the toddler years are over while the child's formal education has begun, which leads parents to think about future education costs, Holler said.

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