We opened Roth IRAs for our kids. We felt it was most important for our kids to have flexibility to use the money for something other than college, should they choose to go another route. My husband and I are custodians of the account, and we are able to make withdrawals for college purposes for our kids, all without tax penalty, just like a 529 would allow. However, if our kids choose another route post-high school other than college, they would be able to keep the money in the Roth/use it for other purposes. That’s just what our family chose to do!