Need Information: legal battle w/ ex-husband over college funds

<p>Hello. Thanks for reading this post. I will try to be as brief as possible with the “back story” that has led to my dilemma.</p>

<p>In our divorce agreement, my children’s father agreed (after much wrangling) that we would each contribute a certain (not unsubstantial) monetary amount to a college fund for our 2 daughters. We agreed to put this money into the fund when a specific joint investment gave us its first pay-out. When the pay-out actually occurred, he was supposedly low on funds, so I allowed him to hold off putting in the $ for a while; he wrote a letter stating that when he put in the $, he would additionally match the earnings that my contribution had made. About 1 1/2 year ago, he told me that he had the money and had deposited it to the account. I found out, one month ago, that he had never put the money in. His initial reaction upon being confronted: fury and blustering; when I stopped all contact w/ him and he heard that I would be taking him to court, he began trying to negotiate. I have decided that I will take him to court if he does not put the full amount, along w/ interest earned, into the account.</p>

<p>A bit more information: I decided to let him “win” in the money part of the divorce agreement, in order to protect the children and myself from endless battle. I figured out what I would need to support my children for their dependent years, added my living expenses, and figured out what percentage of our joint assets this would equal. This amount was quite a bit less than 50% of our assets, and he agreed to this deal. I have never regretted it, because I think that it saved me much grief, and saved my children many repercussions. I am giving this information to explain that, from that point on (10 years ago), he has not been responsible for anything financially for our children; he will continue to not be held responsible legally for any $ to our kids, including any costs for college (except for the one-time deposit agreed upon for the college fund).</p>

<p>My daughter will be attending a LAC in the Fall. It is a school that is identified as having one of the highest tuitions of all American colleges. She will get no financial aid at all, and I accept that as fair; I will be able to carry the costs, if I’m very careful.</p>

<p>So…such a long back story. And here, finally, is my QUESTION: In order to prepare myself for this legal battle, I am trying to figure out the true amount that I can expect to spend, yearly, on my daughter’s college education…beyond tuition, room and board, etc. (Also, a clear sense of the percentage that tuition rises yearly). I’ve heard that the additional, “hidden”, costs are quite high. I’ve Googled a bit, but so far have seen only vague predictions. So, I was hoping to get responses from parents of children who go to colleges with a similar high tuition. If you could relay what, and how much, the additional costs were/are, I’d be tremendously appreciative. </p>

<p>Please…I really don’t need any admonitions about my choices; I feel that my original financial decision was the best one that I could make in the horrible situation that I found myself in. Although I now feel shock and a dawning bitterness at the realization, yet again, that I can not trust this man at all, I also feel blessed that I CAN provide my kids with an excellent education.</p>

<p>Thanks for any and all constructive feedback.</p>

<p>I’d suggest posting this in the parents forum, as it’s not school-specific.</p>

<p>But to get you started, additional costs are books, laundry, transportation, and “fun” stuff (activities, after hours snacks, occasionally going out to eat, etc.) Depending on the courses and whether you buy used, books can run $100-$500/semester. Laundry is a couple of bucks a load, maybe $100/semester. Depending on how close you live to the school, transportation can run $15-$1500/semester. Finally, depending on how much “fun” you have (and how you define “fun”), count on an additional $250/semester.</p>

<p>I have twins, my son spends a ton of money, my daughter hardly any. My son has to fly to/from school, my daughter has an inexpensive car that she drives home (2 hours each way) twice a semester. My son is a double major, my daughter a single major. Both do about the same amount of laundry. Son goes out a lot more (he goes to school in a city), daughter finds most fun on campus.</p>