<p>My friend and her ex agreed to split the final bills 50-50. He earns much more than she does, but she worked to find colleges where, after finaid and merit (and minus the standard student loans) the costs were affordable. So, there was no one side ‘contributing more.’ </p>
<p>if you are uncertain he’ll pay 50%, you need to find colleges that are affordable, as everyone says, and you may need to revise the thing about claiming your child in alternate tax years. With colleges, it can also matter which parent the child actually lives with. See what Pub 970 tells you. Because the info you need can appear in several sections, it can also help to google for specific questions within 970. You will need to build your understanding and put this together very carefully. </p>