Few expenses require as much preparation as college tuition. As soon as you found out you were going to have a child, you may have started a college savings account. Given how much college costs, paying tuition will likely require the contributions of both you and your ex.
Unfortunately, divorce can make paying for college even more difficult for your family. Parents may disagree about the fair way to allocate responsibility or how much the child should have a responsibility to pay. Can you expect Indiana child support to help you and your young adult cover college tuition costs in the future?
Child support usually ends by a child’s 19th birthday
A parent has an obligation to provide for the physical necessities of their children until they become legal adults. Sometimes, a child reaches adulthood before they finish high school, which is one reason why Indiana child support often doesn’t end right at the 18th birthday of a child.
A buffer helps ensure that there will be support through a child’s high school graduation. When it comes to college, parental contributions are typically necessary. Almost no teenager has the resources to fund their own college education unless they receive substantial scholarship resources. However, parents don’t automatically have a requirement to pay for college or necessities like they do during the high school years.
The child support rules in Indiana do allow a custodial parent supporting a child enrolled in college to ask for support from the other parent. However, ordered support will likely still fall far below the necessary amount to cover tuition costs. Starting an agreement on your own may be the better solution for the protection of your children.
You can agree to a fair solution outside of court
You and your ex have the right to negotiate your own settlement in a pending divorce. You can make arrangements that are as unique as your family situation.
Agreeing in writing to a certain amount of cost-sharing or contribution when it comes to college cost can be a solution that balances what the parents are capable of paying with the support their children need as they set themselves up for a better future.
