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Should Child Support Cover College Expenses?

State Laws Continued

By , About.com Guide

  • 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.

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