Who Pays for College After Divorce? Practical Tips for Divorced Parents

[Alexander Pierce]

Hey forum fam! I'm about to start at State University next fall and dealing with a complicated situation. My parents split up 3 years ago and now they're arguing about who pays what for my education. Do divorced parents have to pay for college at all legally? Or am I on my own here? My savings won't cover much and I'm kinda freaking out about loans. Anyone been through this before?

 

[CrimsonRose]

I went through something similar with my kids last year. When it comes to divorced parents paying for college, there's no one-size-fits-all solution, but communication is key. In our case, we calculated what each of us could reasonably contribute based on our current incomes—I pay 60% and my ex covers 40%.
We also sat down with our daughter to discuss expectations about her maintaining a certain GPA and possibly working part-time. Having everything in writing helped us avoid later disagreements. Not every co-parenting relationship is smooth sailing, but try to get them to focus on YOUR future rather than their past issues. Good luck!

 

[Sebastian Cole]

dealing with divorce after kid goes to college right now and it's definitely complicated! my son was already in his sophomore year when me and his mom split. what worked for us was creating a separate joint account just for his college expenses. we both deposit our agreed amounts monthly (we do 50/50 but your parents might do different percentages).
the university financial aid office was super helpful too - they helped us figure out how to manage the FAFSA with separate households. hang in there

 

[Julian Westwood]

Something to keep in mind: newer FAFSA rules (since 2024-25) require info from the parent providing more financial support in the last year, not necessarily the one you lived with most. Whose info is used can impact your aid eligibility, sometimes working in your favor.

In my experience advising families on how do divorced parents pay for college, the most successful arrangements include:

1. Being specific about which parent covers what (tuition vs housing vs books etc)

2. Setting up direct payments to the school when possible

3. Revisiting the agreement yearly as financial situations change

Proactive discussion and clear documentation of these details can prevent stress later.

 

[VelvetMystique]

whether divorced parents have to pay for college or not varies by state! In most places, child support ends at 18 or high school graduation, and college support isn't mandated. But! Some states (like MA, NJ, NY) can require it, and many divorce agreements include specific college expense provisions.

my ex and i split tuition 60/40 and our daughter works for spending $. we also agreed to max out at in-state public university rates, so if she chose private school (which she did lol), she covers the difference w/ scholarships and loans. check your parents' divorce decree - there might already be language about college

 

[WhisperingWillow]

Interesting and important tips!