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Do I Need to Pay For My Child’s College After Illinois Divorce?
In Illinois, parents are required to support college expenses as part of child support. Many parents are often troubled to learn this as they proceed through a divorce, as college can be a big expense. A skilled Illinois child support and divorce attorney can help you navigate this process and Illinois laws to ensure you are informed about your expected contributions.
Understanding Illinois College Expense Laws
The Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act handles how college expenses are divided among unmarried or divorced parents. Under this act, parents are required to contribute to college expenses for their non-minor children, meaning over 18 years of age, until a certain point.
Illinois college expense laws include the following:
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Parents must contribute to college expenses for their child until they reach 23, or 25 if there is a ‘good cause’ to continue to this point
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Contributions to college expenses end at age 25 for a child regardless of any situation
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College expenses are based on the cost of in-state, in-person education at the University of Illinois’ Champaign-Urbana campus
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Contributions to college expenses also include the cost of up to five college applications, two entrance exams, and one entrance exam preparation course
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Children must sign a consent form that allows the parent contributing to their college expenses to have access to their academic records
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Contributions to a child’s college expenses are eligible to be terminated if their GPA falls below a C, if he completes a bachelor’s degree, or if he gets married
These same laws also ensure that the courts will consider both current and future financial resources of the parents of the shared child when it comes to determining how much a parent might need to contribute to his child’s college expenses.
What If My Ex is Refusing to Pay For Our Child’s College?
If your ex is refusing to pay his or her contributions to your child’s college expenses, or you and your spouse cannot come to an agreement about these payments, the court may step in and make these decisions for you. In general, the court will decide according to your child’s best interests.
In the case that your ex outright refuses to pay for your child’s college expenses, you may need to pursue a case against him or her in court. Your ex may be ordered to pay, and may be given additional fines or penalties due to the refusal to pay initially.
Contact a Kane County, IL Child Support Lawyer
Determining contributions to your child’s college expenses is often confusing. A St. Charles, IL child support attorney familiar with the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act is essential to helping you with this process. Call Shaw Sanders, P.C. at 630-584-5550 for a free consultation.
630-584-5550