At $1.7 trillion, student loan debt is greater than all credit card debt combined and comes in second only to mortgage debt. And the numbers keep rising.

Even with debt relief proposals on the table that include free college, updates to the public service loan forgiveness process, and an uptick in employer-sponsored education, the sticker shock that most families encounter when reviewing post-high school options is unlikely to reverse course anytime soon.

So how do parents take the lessons learned from today’s debt crisis and make sure to protect their loved one’s pathway to success?

Virginia529 CEO Mary Morris recently spoke with The Broadcast Retirement Network about how families can get the cost of college conversation right.