Are Divorced or Unmarried Parents Required to Contribute to College?

 Posted on February 25, 2021 in Child Support

The cost of going to college increases with every passing year. If you are like many parents, you probably have concerns about how to finance your child’s college education. You may wonder how college expenses are dealt with when parents are unmarried or divorced. Does Illinois require parents to help pay for college? Does the parent who pays child support automatically pay for university-related expenses? Whether your child is college-aged or you still have a few years before he or she heads off to university, it is important to know how Illinois law deals with college expenses.

Child Support for College Students in Illinois

College expenses are handled differently than typical child support. When the child is still a minor, it is presumed that the obligor pays child support. Regular child support typically ends when the child turns 18 and graduates from high school. Once the child is an adult, this presumption no longer exists. It is up to the parent seeking non-minor child support to show that non-minor support is appropriate. Per Illinois law, courts may require one or both parents to contribute to college expenses, but this requirement is not automatic.

When deciding whether or not to order child support for post-secondary expenses, Illinois courts consider each parent’s financial circumstances, the child’s income or assets, the standard of living the child would enjoy if the parents were married, and the child’s academic records.  

How Much Each Parent Must Pay Toward College Expenses

As with other family law issues, parents may be able to negotiate an agreement about how much each parent will contribute toward their child’s college education and submit the agreement to the court for approval. If an agreement cannot be reached, the court has the authority to allocate college expenses between the parents.

Parents may be ordered to contribute to their child’s tuition and fees, housing expenses, books, living expenses, and other education-related costs. There is a statutory cap on what parents can be ordered to contribute to a child’s college expenses. Illinois uses the current cost of tuition and housing at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign to set this cap. Parents are only required to pay for their child’s undergraduate degree. Furthermore, non-minor support for college expenses may terminate if the child does not maintain at least a “C” grade point average.

Contact a Will County Non-Minor Child Support Lawyer

The cost of college tuition and housing can be astronomical. For help understanding your rights and obligations regarding non-minor child support or for help petitioning the court for non-minor support, contact an experienced Joliet, IL child support attorney at Law Offices of Tedone & Morton, P.C. Call to schedule a free consultation at 815-666-1285 or 815-733-5350.

Source:

http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/documents/075000050K513.htm