Q: Is there a way to make my father help pay for my college?
I’m a 19 year old full time college student. I have a younger brother in high school and sometimes my dad doesn’t pay child support for him, so my mom is struggling. He is supposed to be paying our medical/dental bills but hasn’t done that. My brother and I both have braces that he refused to pay for. We do not have insurance. I owe my schools heath center money and can’t pay for it. I had to pay $70 when i came home for another doctor. My mom is struggling to find money for rent, we don’t have cable or WiFi at home and that’s hard because I take online classes when I’m home for break. My father promised me money for Christmas so I can get textbooks, food, a FitBit for my PE class, my medication, and to be able to pay for laundry. We got in an argument and he refused to give me anything, calling me horrible names on Christmas. I owe my school almost $2,000 for this semester; no idea how I’m going to pay that. And I’m not sure if this matters or not, but I also have a protective order.
A:
Bottom line is that parents are under no obligation to pay for their children once they graduate high school. So there is no law that will force him to pay for your college.
However, if he is under a court order to pay child support and medical/dental bills, and is not doing so, your mother can file a Rule to Show Cause with the court to enforce the Order and she can request an income deduction order to have his employer hold the money from his paycheck.
A:
The short answer is "no." Child support ends as age 18 unless (1) the child is in high school in which case support continues until age 19 or graduation, or (2) the child has a long term disability.
The one exception that could arise is if your parents have divorce settlement agreement that provides for him to pay for college.
While you may not be able to get present or future monies from him, your mother can enforce his obligation to pay back support, both cash and medical expenses, that he failed to pay for you, and pay back and current support for your brother.
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