No doubt you want your child to be successful in life. That’s why a new school year is the perfect time to start saving for your child’s future education.

Whether you dream of your child pursuing a 4-year degree or a career path requiring technical education, a 529 college savings plan like Future Scholar can help cover future education costs.

Your 529 funds can be used at any accredited 2- or 4-year school in the United States and at more than 600-plus schools around the globe.

It can never be too early or too late to start saving but beginning as early as possible is smart.

The sooner you begin saving, the more time compound interest will work for you to prevent overwhelming student loan debt.

You can manage your contributions online. You have the flexibility to select an investment strategy that makes sense for your individual needs.

If you find that your child doesn’t need the money for college, you can transfer the money to another child, for yourself or post-graduate studies.

With these 3 tips, you can boost your savings and help ensure you have a plan to cover future expenses.

1. Set up regular contributions. Whether a draft once a month or by the paycheck, scheduling regular contributions to go into your child’s 529 savings account can help build up a balance. Each year review your current contribution to see if you are able to increase it for the coming year. You’ll be amazed how quickly those numbers grow.

2. Use unexpected windfalls. When you stop paying for diapers or orthodontist bills, take that line item from your monthly budget and apply it to your child’s 529 account. Consider putting your tax refunds, performance bonuses and even rebates from new purchases into your college savings.

3. Encourage gifts from loved ones. It’s easy to make a gift contribution to a loved one’s 529 account for a variety of life’s milestones. Birthdays, holidays and graduation are just some of the great opportunities to help boost college savings and capitalize on available tax benefits. You can invite grandparents, aunts and uncles as well as family friends to contribute to a child’s 529 account in lieu of buying toys. What’s more, contributors can take a tax deduction on their SC income tax returns.