Does she have a case?

I found out that many noncustodial parents feel the same way about paying for their kids college or trade school education. Often the kid chose to live with the other parent during a prior court proceeding so it is very much the same case. The noncustodial parent says the kid chose to live with the other parent so the other parent can pay their college.

As a purely technical matter there is no way for her to pay her own way because the Federal Financial aid rules require that she declare herself as a "dependent" for purposes of school funding until she reaches 24, gets married or has a kid.

DonDiego understands divorced parents suing one another for college tuition payments.

But DonDiego has a more fundamental question: Are parents somehow required by law to pay for a college education for their child? What if they just do not want to do so?

DonDiego was very pleased that his parents paid for most of his college expenses, . . . but he never thought they were obligated to do so.

Such matters are decided by each State's particular family law, but as a general rule yes if it is brought to court. I think that is what the judge was hinting at. He was indicating what his likely ruling would be, and he was hoping the parties would work it out before he had to set precedent that would upended parental control.

This is an odd case because the girl is 18. If she were 1-17 the case would have been brought as a guardianship, emancipation or child in need of services case (if brought by the state) depending on the state and the particular facts. However, since she turned 18 and is a legal adult all those other options were off the table.

I used to work with foster kids/wards a lot. We got a girl in our home once that was a senior in high school at 18 because social services said they couldn't do anything for her, and they were hoping we could.

If she were 17 and the people she were living with brought a successful guardianship case her parents would have had to pay the guardians child support and college expenses.

Apparently she does not have a case, . . . anymore, . . .

Ref: Honor Student Goes Home