<p>My parents recently got divorced. Anyway, we got back a considerable tax refund that's split 50/50, and my mother (non-custodial) put the refund already in her account, but my father has not. </p>
<p>I was wondering if the non-custodial or the custodial parent is obligated to pay more? If it's the custodial, then my father will not deposit his check yet so he won't have to tap into that money.</p>
<p>This goes for FAFSA and CSS profiles.</p>
<p>Unless it is stated in a divorce decree, neither parent is obligated to pay anything toward college costs whatsoever.</p>
<p>If there is clause in your parents’ divorce decree covering college costs, the answer is inside that document.</p>
<p>In addition, it doesn’t matter whether money is in a bank account or is a check in your father’s pocket, it’s still counted as part of his assets for FA purposes.</p>
<p>The colleges don’t really care who pays your family contribution or how it is divided between your parents. The bill just needs to be paid.</p>
<p>P.S. if your parents are divorced, only your custodial parent lists their assets on the FAFSA. If your colleges use the profile, and require the noncustodial form…then both parents assets are reported.</p>
<p>custodial and non-custodial family only really comes into play for determining Federal aid… if that case only custodial and custodial spouse are calculated). most schools that meet full need and/ or have their own aid to give also ask for non-custodial parent and step parent info.</p>
<p>Schools cannot require families to pay for tuition, BUT the expectation is that the first responsibility for paying for college is with the family and the student. As others have mentioned the schools does not determine who pays what percentage of the tuition, but they will not make up the difference if non-custodial parent or custodial parents will not pay what the school determines as the student “need.”</p>
<p>Whether a non-custodial parent, divorced or out of wedlock, is obligated to pay child support and tuition after the child becomes 18 years old is governed by the state child support guidelines of the state family and probate court that has supervision over custody. In states like FL, everything is terminated when the minor becomes 18, but in other states like MA child support and college tuition continue until the child graduates from college, or two years after the child graduates high school if the child does not attend college. Plus, if the parents have professional degrees and the financial means, then the court can compel them to contribute towards grad school as well. Everything depends on the state, regardless of the custody agreement, because neither parent has the legal right to give away rights awarded to a child by statute.</p>
<p>Yikes… I should have proofread my ppst above. Typos everywhere.</p>
<p>I also was not clear that in some states payment for college can be required as part of divorce settlement. Others covered that clearly.</p>
<p>Sent from my DROID RAZR using CC</p>
<p>No one is obligated to pay anything unless it is written out in a contract such as a divorce agreement. However, FAFSA only uses the custodial parent’s and his/her spouse’s financial information in coming up with the EFC… The more generous schools typically use PROFILE or their aid apps and will usually ask for both parents’ and their spouses’financial information.</p>
<p>Actually I should’ve clarified - my parents are technically not divorced until the papers are signed, so they filed a joint tax return which is what we’re using. But since they are getting divorced officially before the start of next semester, my school required a non-custodial application. Not sure if this makes a difference.</p>