Who Pays for College After The Divorce?

You have been divorced for many years, and both of you have seemed to move on with your lives. But now that your children are going to college, an issue arises again. Who pays for college tuition when you and your spouse have been divorced for many years? Are you still obligated? It can be quite overwhelming to find out that you need to raise a right amount of cash to send your child or children to college. And so you wonder if you are still required by the courts of law to pay for college.

Are you still legally required to pay for college tuition?

Divorce lawyers admit that not all courts require parents to pay for the college tuition fee of their children. However, many divorcing parents include an arrangement for child support until they the children reach college. Most couples would talk about the division of college expenses and how they would divide it among themselves. But not all parents agree. At this point, the parent who loses in the child custody battle is usually required by law to give more to cover the expenses needed by the child.

Divorce lawyers often talk about child support that extends until the child goes to college. This is to ensure that the parents understand their responsibility to their children. If you don’t want to leave your child’s future up to chance, then it is best to discuss voluntary child support until they finish college. In this way, parents can make sure that their child can get a good education, finish school and find a good job that will help them build a life for themselves.

How much will you need to contribute?

Essentially, divorce lawyers make sure that the non-custodial parent bears more financial responsibility. However, the court also considers the financial capability of both parents to provide so that one won’t end up paying for everything when the time comes. To determine how both parents would be able to provide, the court weighs in several factors. Some of them are in this list:

• The financial situation of each parent including their source of income.
• Educational attainment of both parents. Post graduate studies might open more opportunities for some parents to gain faster career growth.
• Parent’s expectation of their children – whether they think their child will want to pursue college or not.
• Child’s academic standing, achievements, and goals.
• Debts and assets of both parents.

The amount you give to send your child to college years after the divorce will depend on you. To help you decide, consult and divorce lawyer about it and weigh your options. If you aim at giving your child