Should college tuition be considered in divorce decrees?

I picked other. I think there are so many things that could determine what would be right for each family and child. I do believe that they should absolutely be considered and discussed before signing though.

My thoughts also.  So many variables, it is not the same for every family.

I think it depends on which state you live in and what your financial ability to provide support is. Some states, the legal age of emancipation is 21 which would cover the college years. I think if I could afford it and my child wanted to attend college and was dedicated towards obtaining a degree, I would provide financial support regardless of what is spelled out in the child support agreement.

I don't know that percentages should be declared. That may or may not be practical, especially if the children are very young when the divorce occurs. I do think there should be some language addressing it; the parents should agree whether or no they are going to pay for/contribute to college expenses at the time of divorce and that should be in the decree. I think the specifics can be determined closer to when the child(ren) go to college. What that would look like, legally, I don't know.

My concerns with declaring percentages is what if a kid gets in a school that's affordable for one parent but not for another? And setting a dollar amount cap wouldn't be very practical either, as who knows what college will cost 12 years in the future.

In my state, child support ends at graduation or age 18 if the child is under 18 at graduation. Arrangements for college can be written in if both parents agree to it, but it is not required.

That's a lousy and unfair situation for sure. And it's also an excellent illustration of why it's SO important to have competent, separate legal representation in a divorce, and not to focus on just getting it done cheaply and quickly. 

Ideally parents will help with tuition when they are able. I don't think divorce means pay tuition for legal adults when parents in general are not required to if they remain married.

I don't think my dad could have afforded college tuition for all of us. As it is he cashed in his 401K to pay college tuition for them and died destitute.

College is not optional for my kids, so yes, I do think college should be considered in a divorce decree.

Yes! Exactly that.

I cannot imagine a parent not being required to pay at least a portion of college tuition. This is 2017. For the most part, you have to have a degree these days. I'm not saying that the parent has to pay all or part of a Harvard education, but there should be some stipulation about how much we should pay.

And just be cause you got a sucky situation, it doesn't mean everyone should have that same sucky situation, right?

FWIW, I am surprised about child support stopping at 18. Here in Virginia, it's what you put in your decree. I was going to write 21 on my decree, but my lawyer stopped me and said what if my kids take a gap year or whatever. So we did until they are out of college OR until age 24. Fortunately, neither my ex nor I are hateful about money and we do what we need to do for the kids.

I think college tuition should absolutely be discussed/considered. The actual language is going to be extremely dependent on family dynamics, but both parents should absolutely be aware of what each party is expecting/expected to contribute to college - particularly if that number is zero. Both parents' information is included in financial aid determination. It's completely unfair to the child, for them to be unaware that their parents are not intending to contribute to college. If the parents disagree about college contribution, it might also change the negotiation of other asset/support distribution. It could make sense to tie something to the Expected Family Contribution - as that would at least be a third party determination based on actual income and assets - but I haven't been through that process in 20 years - it may be completely unworkable.

It's tricky for sure.   Of course they can hide things.... but they would be hiding them from the court... so they are taking that risk.  If I were to do it now and I could I would say.... 50 % of XXX (avg college tuition) not to exceed  XX% of each parents income. Adjusted for inflation.   Mine has some sort of clause about voluntarily unemployed. My ex wanted it in because I wasn't employed when we got divorced.  

Unfortunately, this was our scenario. DDs father wouldn't help with a single penny of anything other than his court ordered child support and half of the medical bills (and most of those he fought because they "didn't really NEED to go to the doctor") It was not an issue of not being able to help, it was a choice. He even said to DH and I that if we were going to cover things why should he?! The bittersweet part is that he has custody of his kids from his last marriage and fortunately for them doesn't act the same way towards their desire to be involved in activities, etc. Unfortunately for DDs they get to see what he willingly does for his other kids. 

I vote yes simply because it's too common for divorced parents to act like assholes towards each other and the kid gets caught in the middle. 

It's a complicated question, so I voted other.

I'll go a step forward from peabay and say that tertiary education is a requirement for my kids. It has never not been an option. If one of them had a passion for plumbing or some other non college based career we would have spoken about it. Dh and I, and our parents and grandparents before us, worked our butts off so we could provide our kids with good starting blocks for life and unfortunately the expense of tertiary education is one of those things. Not just any college degree mind you, but one that gives you a career, which is why you could be a plumber if that's what rocks your boat.

It would most definitely be in any divorce decree and if the kids were young it would cover a financial plan, beginning now, on saving for that education just like we do now as a family. I would not leave it as a we will wait and see option and what if there is no money at the time it's needed, yada yada. In addition, there would be the requirement of life insurance to cover those expenses should one of us die.

ETA: Of my four kids, 2 already have PhDs, one in Computer Science, one in Biomed and two are on their way to getting them, one in Neuroscience and one is charting his own course in (eta) Neuro Computer Mechanics (an official degree doesn't exist, as he says, yet!).