. >> reporter: long island resident nicole romano became a mother in a big way just a few months ago. but, already she's worried about paying for college for twins abby and ava. >> i don't want them to have to have student loans or wait too long to where they're ten and we only have seven or eight years. >> reporter: so, right after the babies were born, romano and her husband opened a 529 college savings plan. and, she's not alone, 25% of u.s. parents with college bound children have 529 accounts. the plans allow families to sock away money for higher education costs. those funds can grow tax-free and some states even offer tax incentives. if the romano girls chose a private college like n.y.u., it will cost a small fortune. experts calculate $159,000 a year to be exact. times four years-- that's $636,000 and don't forget to double that for twins and for a shocking total of $1.3 million. cary carbonaro is the romano's financial planner. she says all her clients with young children have 529 accounts and safety is their biggest concern. and, it's no wonder people worry. after all, many