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Should Child Support Cover College Expenses?
State Laws Continued

By Cathy Meyer, About.com Guide

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(Continued from Page 1)

Louisiana - No statute or case law holding parent to duty.
Maine - No statute or case law holding parent to duty.
Maryland - No statute or case law holding parent to duty.
Massachusetts - Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 208, § 28 allows court to render support order for child between ages 18 and 21 who is dependent on parent for support.
Michigan - No statute or case law holding parent to duty.
Minnesota - No statute or case law holding parent to duty.
Mississippi - Age of majority is 21; college support may be ordered. Stokes v. Martin, 596 So. 2d 879 (Miss. 1992).
Missouri - Mo. R. Civ. Pro. 88.01; Mo. Rev. Stat. § 452.240.5 provides that support obligation may be extended to age 22 for college.
Montana - No statute or case law holding parent to duty.
Nebraska - No statute or case law holding parent to duty. Zetterman v. Zetterman, 245 Neb. 255, 512 N.W.2d 622 (1994).
Nevada - No statute or case law holding parent to duty.
New Hampshire - Gnirk v. Gnirk, 134 N.H. 199, 589 A.2d 1008 (1991) held that support may be awarded for college expenses.
New Jersey - Newburgh v. Newburgh, 88 N.J. 529, 443 A.2d 1031 (1982) held that court has jurisdiction to entertain motion to modify original judgment of divorce to award payment of college expenses.
New Mexico - No statute or case law holding parent to duty.
New York - N.Y. Dom. Rel. Law § 240(1-b)(c)(7) provides that court may award educational expenses for college to age 21.
North Carolina - No statute or case law holding parent to duty.
North Dakota - N.D. Cent. Code § 14-09-08 allows court to order college expenses. Donarski v. Donarski, 581 N.W.2d 130 (N.D. 1998)
Ohio - No statute or case law holding parent to duty.
Oklahoma - No statute or case law holding parent to duty.
Oregon - Or. Rev. Stat. § 107.275(1)(e) authorizes court to order parent to pay support for child attending school to age 21. In re Marriage of Crocker, 157 Or. App. 651 (1998)
Pennsylvania - No authority to award college support. Curtis v. Kline, 542 Pa. 249, 666 A.2d 265 (1995)
Rhode Island - No statute or case law holding parent to duty.
South Carolina - Court may order college support. Risinger v. Risinger, 273 S.C. 36, 253 S.E.2d 652 (1979)
South Dakota - No statute or case law holding parent to duty.
Tennessee - No statute or case law holding parent to duty.
Texas - No statute or case law holding parent to duty.
Utah - Utah Code Ann. § 15-2-1 provides that in divorce actions, courts may order support to age 21.
Vermont - No statute or case law holding parent to duty.
Virginia - No statute or case law holding parent to duty.
Washington – Wash. Rev. Code § 26.19.090 provides that the court may, in its discretion, award college support.
West Virginia - No statute or case law holding parent to duty.
Wisconsin - No statute or case law holding parent to duty.
Wyoming - No statute or case law holding parent to duty.