Many people work their whole lives building what wealth they can and leave a trusted loved one or friend to divide it among their heirs. In other cases they may make decisions that keep peace or are in good meaning but that violate Trust Law, provisions or even the intent of the departed loved one. Consider the option of a corporate trustee to assure your wishes are carried out objectively and without any emotional factor. Many banks and investment companies can be named as trustee and apply their knowledge of law and wealth management to your estate planning. If a distribution is denied to a beneficiary it is usually because it violates the terms of the trust and ultimately eliminates violations to laws.
Many firms can act as successor trustee, co-trustee or even an advisor or agent.
Most will review your trust at no charge to assure it can be administered effectively in its stated terms and offer suggestions for changes. Many programs are out there but the draw backs are bountiful. Then there is the 529 Plan. Not many friends, once you pick an investment you stay unless you want to go through a lengthy rollover process. You may hurt your chances for financial aid but if you are in the tax bracket that would allow you to benefit from such a plan you probably would not have qualified anyway.