<p>The child of the wealthy dad probably got to live in nice homes in good neighborhoods and go to wonderful ECs and summer programs.</p>
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<p>Maybe -- but I know kids with dads who will do anything to hurt the moms, even if it's the kids who suffer. The dads pay child support late or not at all, let the family live in a ratty apartment while he jet-sets, never visit, etc. ... I'm not saying that other families should have to educate the child of a dad like that, but you can't assume that the child grew up with benefits that counter-balance the lack of financial aid. Some of these kids are getting totally ripped off, and I don't see a solution outside of relitigating the divorce settlement.</p>
<p>Also, I'd be fairly certain that colleges don't care what's in the divorce agreement. One can not even use a prenuptial agreement to excuse their new spouse from having to contribute to college for offspring from a prior marriage!</p>
<p>I am a bit surprised that the financial situation was not discussed beforehand by parents and that enquiries were not made. I do not know how wealthy is wealthy. But I somehow do not think that a truly wealthy dad would have been required by courts to contribute only $10k toward college tuition, or that the mother would not have been aware of college costs and asked more at the time. Something just does not seem quite right to me.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, I have seen this situation time and again. My closest friend went through this. For whatever reason, divorce lawyers do not seem to address college costs as fully as they should. In the case of my friend, she never dreamed that her husband who is a surgeon would ever reneg on paying the kids' educational costs, as both of them were committed to raising the kids to the best of their abilities despite the divorce. But 10 years later, the picture had changed. He had been the guardian of the Unified Gift to Minors accounts that grandparents had funded and he used those monies to pay private school tuitions which was permitted, and he did not tell anyone he had done this. I think he was taken aback at the cost of a private education and he did not want to pay for the school where the daughter was acccepted. He did not want to face the issue until he had to which was when the deposits were due. A lot of times assets and payments are being discussed in for divorce settlements, the cost of college becomes a real sticking point as it is an indeterminable cost. And lawyers and clients both are eager to leave that point behind and get to the meat of the matter involving division of assets and monthly payments.. It is my opinion that any divorce settlement require that both parents pay their share of what financial aid documents of the college of choice allocate as EFC. Not being an attorney, I do not know why college payment is often so vaguely approached in child support settlements. </p>
<p>Too many parents are convinced that if Harvard or whatever school accepts their kid, the money will come somehow, somewhere. They have not fully accepted that financial aid basically hands you a mirror for payment responsibility. When it happens it is a nasty surprise to all involved. There is too much press out there saying that no college should be off limits for monetary reasons, that you would be surprised how much aid is available (yeah, right). You hear it , read it and want to believe it. </p>
<p>I think Sybbie's advice and scenario is sound. Perhaps a few words with Dad could shake a few more dollars from that source. If Mom could come up with half, and the the kids works like a maniac summers, weekends, etc, it may be doable with some loans. </p>
<p>I have never heard of a case where the father is involved that a school comes up with money because he refuses to pay more than a set amount. Often what happens is that the family sweeps the father under the rug and claims he has abandoned them, and the $10K is slipped under the table while the kid get financial aid based on mom's income. I see this abuse all of the time, and well understand why. But to excuse the father from paying because HE is setting the limits, creates a dangerous precedent. We can all set our limits for the colleges as to what we want to pay. I , too, would love to limit tuition payments to $10K a year as the amount we want to pay. It's not the way it works.</p>
<p>my question is this though. sure you could go back to court and ask for more support, but at age 18, there is no more support, unless there was some other kind of arrangement, ie)you keep the house and pay for college, I leave and take nothing. (that's what our neighbor has). my children's father is a deadbeat horrible person who helps with nothing, and the courts will not intervene because son is 18. I would think lawyers don't address this because there really is nothing to address, according to my lawyer. once child support years are done, that's it. Because at 18 the kids can essentially take out loans and pay for their own college, nobody is obligated to do anything.</p>
<p>You may want to check what your state's laws are about child support and payment of college expenses. There are some states where it is feasible to sue a parent for college expenses. If this is a path you want to investigate, you need to consult with an attorney, maybe your mother's divorce lawyer.</p>
<p>I know that you can go back to the family courts in NYC because one of my friends did just when her child got accepted to college. She requested and got an upward modification for support (state of NY holds you responsible until child is 21) that included money for tuition. She did not even use an attorney. Everyone has to bring in documentation of their finances, check stubs, w-2, copy of taxes,. She also brought in the financial aid letter from the college and it was prorated accordingly.</p>
<p>My brother who I wouldn't describe as wealthy could certainly afford more than $10,000 for his kids college expenses- however it was not named as a stipulation in the divorce agreement, and he stated that he would not pay for the firefighter program that his son wanted to attend.
So his eldest son worked two jobs and attended community college for the first two years of his post high school schooling and paid for it himself- since he felt he didn't want to put that burden on his mother and her husband.</p>
<p>I think in WA you can expect a parent to pay for reasonable college expenses- whether that would include expenses of an Ivy or just instate at the UW- could be another matter.
sounds like in wa it would be a case by case basis
[quote]
Washington The Washington State Supreme Court ruled in Childers v. Childers, 89 Wn.2d 592, 575 P.2d 201 (1978), held that judges have the discretion to require a parent to support a child beyond the age of 18 if the child remains dependent on his/her parents for support. In 1990, the Legislature enacted RCW 26.19.090 governing post secondary educational support awards. Under the statute, the court will determine whether the adult child is in fact dependent and is relying upon the parents for the reasonable necessities of life. The court will exercise its discretion when determining whether and for how long to award post secondary educational support based upon consideration of factors that include but are not limited to the following: (a) Age of the child; (b) Child's needs; (c) Parents expectations for their children when they were together; (d) Child's prospects, desires, aptitudes, abilities or disabilities; (e) Nature of the post secondary education sought; and (f) Parents' level of education, standard of living, and resources.
<p>It's all down to the state laws - for example, MD tried to pass a law that said child support would continue through a four-year college degree - no dice. In most states, there are no grounds for re-litigation as the child is considered an adult at 18. The only revision the legislature could get passed was that child support would continue through HS graduation for children that had already turned 18 before that date.</p>
<p>In all states where support stops at 18 (most) neither parent is required to pay a dime for college. I'm not so sure they are in states where the age is 18 either.</p>
<p>Also, if a father has money to jet set and the mother and children are in a ratty apartment, they have every right to go after him for additional funds unless the mother waived her rights at the time of divorce, and no one does that who doesn't have their own assets to protect. They can get funds out of his pay from his employer and even get his tax returns. It's hard for the wealthy to be deadbeat dads.</p>
<p>For the family to slip him under the rug, they would have to prove that he had not paid child support for some time and that the child did not see him.</p>
<p>An option not previously mentioned is the UWash Honors Program, for which she is certainly qualified, and which is an excellent alternative to UWash "lite".</p>
<p>I think that there is still a lot of information which we the CC posters are not privvy to and therefore giving answers based on limited information. What we do see on the surface is that the FA package was based on what the school beleives that the family could afford to pay.</p>
<p>I am with Marite as to what constitute wealth because it is a relative term. To the parent making $25,000 a year the other making $50,000 would be considered wealthy in their eyes.</p>
<p>Does the mom collect alimony (which is considered income in the eyes of the IRS. FAFSA and the CSS profile). Child support is also added as income on the css profile. </p>
<p>Has the mother remarried (the fact that she has a husband will be looked at as far as her being in a more favorable financial position now that she has remarried)</p>
<p>How long has it been since they have been divorced? At the time $10,000 may have been more than a generous contribution to the child's education. (No court is going to say that a parent is legally obligated to give their chidl an Ivy league education.) </p>
<p>From speaking to divorced parents who have college agreements in place, many have stated cut their deal based on the court of their state university as an overwhelming number of students do go to school locally.</p>
<p>(No court is going to say that a parent is legally obligated to give their chidl an Ivy league education.) </p>
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<p>I'm a lawyer, and this is not true -- some courts would nad some would not. A millionaire parent is not allowed to simply support his child at the level of the national median income. Depending on the state and the circumstance, the court may consider the standard of living the child had when living with the father and the standard of living in the child's community. There have been cases where non-custodial parents were required to pay Ivy League tuition.</p>
<p>If the millionaire lives in NY and has to pay child support of 17% of his income, then yes you are correct, paying for an Ivy would be a non-issue because the amount of child support alone would cover it. The personmaking $1million/year would be paying $170,000 for one child, 250,000 for 2 and 350,000 for 3 or more children as a base.</p>
<p>But would they make the regular middle class person pay a $40,000 tuition tab?</p>
<p>As Sybbie says, we do not know the particulars of the case, and things that can make a big difference such as the state law on the subject, and provisions in the divorce agreement. As I said earlier, that avenue may be worth exploring, and the mother's attorney would have that information available. In some states the parent can be liable, in some states a child can successfully sue a parent for college money.</p>
<p>The kid should be happy with the $10,000 a year. That is more than enough to go to the top state school in any state. Go where you can afford. The father technically shouldn't have to pay crap because the kid is over 18, she should be responsible for herself. The man always gets screwed in divorce settlements and you people seem to want to screw him more!</p>
<p>Every parent has their own feelings about education and their children and is entitled to these. After being one of those kids whose parents refused to pay, I am the other way (any always have been) with my child. My husband and I agreed that education is the most important thing for a child next to food, shelter, and unconditional love. If it takes living in a one room efficiency and working 2 jobs for both us, we'll do what it takes to get her a good education of her choice.</p>
<p>Joev, you are wrong. Studies show that men generally are in better shape economically after a divorce, and women are worse off. The kids generally fare badly too. $10K a year is not enough to go to many state school, unless you find a local public school. Take a look at the cost of attendance for Penn State. Also what the father technically should pay is determined by the state and possibly provisions in the divorce settlement, and we, and you do not know what those are. Federal and institutional financial aid methodology clearly states that the parents are responsible for their children's college expenses and specifically prohibits kids from being able to be responsible for themselves until they are age 24, a veteran of the armed forces, marry, have a dependent or by court order. She cannot be responsible herself for financial aid for that reason--she is linked to her parent's income. </p>
<p>It may well turn out that he is legally and technically free of any more obligation. Actually it is the personal decision of most parents as to whether or not they want to pay for their children's education. But I will tell you, that most people are not going to think too highly of a parent who can afford to pay his kid's Harvard tuition, and refuses to do so or will only give enough so that it is difficult for the kid to be able to go.</p>
<p>I have no idea what the laws are, but it would make no sense to force a divorced parent to pay a cent for college when no parent in an intact household has to.</p>