Can Child Support Include College Expenses?

In Washington, child support can extend to college costs, but it is not automatic and it is not guaranteed the way ordinary support for a minor child is. This kind of support, called postsecondary educational support, is discretionary, which means a judge decides case by case whether to order it at all.

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Postsecondary Support Is Advisory, Not Mandatory

Regular child support for a minor child follows the state's income-shares model, where both parents' incomes go onto a worksheet and the economic table produces a presumptive amount. College support does not work that way. The law says the child support schedule is advisory, not mandatory, for postsecondary educational support. See RCW 26.19.090(1). A judge is not locked into a formula and is not required to order college support in every case. The court has real discretion to say yes, to say no, or to order support for some costs and not others.

That discretion is the single most important thing to understand. Many parents assume that if their child goes to college, the other parent will simply keep paying. In Washington, that assumption is wrong. Whether college support happens depends on the court's judgment applied to your family's specific facts.

What the Court Weighs

Before ordering postsecondary support, the court first has to decide whether the child is genuinely dependent and still relying on the parents for the reasonable necessities of life. See RCW 26.19.090(2). An eighteen-year-old who is self-supporting and living independently is in a very different position from one who is a full-time student depending on parental help.

If the child is dependent, the court then weighs a list of factors, including but not limited to the child's age, the child's needs, what the parents expected for their children when they were still together, the child's prospects, desires, aptitudes, and abilities or disabilities, the nature of the education being sought, and each parent's level of education, standard of living, and current and future resources. The court also considers the amount and type of support the child would have received if the parents had stayed together. See RCW 26.19.090(2). A family where both parents attended college and always assumed their kids would too presents differently than a family where higher education was never part of the picture.

Strings Attached: Enrollment and Grades

College support in Washington is conditional. The statute requires that the child enroll in an accredited academic or vocational school, actively pursue a course of study that fits the child's vocational goals, and stay in good academic standing as defined by the institution. See RCW 26.19.090(3). If the child stops meeting those conditions, the court-ordered support is automatically suspended for the period the child is out of compliance. There is no need to run back to court to pause it; the suspension is built into the law.

There is also a transparency requirement. The child must make all academic records and grades available to both parents as a condition of receiving support, and each parent has full and equal access to those records. See RCW 26.19.090(4). A student who wants a parent to keep paying cannot keep grades and enrollment status a secret.

The Age Ceiling

Postsecondary support does not run indefinitely. The court cannot order payment of college expenses beyond the child's twenty-third birthday, except in exceptional circumstances such as mental, physical, or emotional disabilities. See RCW 26.19.090(5). For most families, that means support covers a normal window for finishing a degree, not an open-ended commitment.

Timing Matters: Ask Before Support Ends

Here is a point that surprises many Snohomish County parents. Postsecondary support is generally something you have to request while the existing child support obligation is still in place. Ordinary support usually ends when a child turns eighteen or graduates from high school, whichever is later, and if you wait until after that obligation has already ended to raise the college question, you may find the door has closed. The safer path is to address postsecondary support before current support terminates, so the issue is preserved and the court can consider it.

This timing trap is one of the most common and most costly mistakes parents make. A child heading into a senior year of high school is often the right moment to think about whether college support will be sought and to get advice on how and when to raise it. Waiting until the tuition bill arrives can be too late.

How Payments Are Handled

If the court does order postsecondary support, it will generally direct that payments go straight to the school when that is feasible, keeping the money tied to actual educational costs. See RCW 26.19.090(6). If paying the institution directly is not practical, the court has discretion to route payments to the child or to a parent, depending on where the child lives. This structure keeps the support focused on its purpose rather than turning it into a general allowance.

Planning Ahead for Your Family

College support in Washington is real, but it is discretionary, conditional, time-limited, and sensitive to timing. Understanding the factors a judge weighs and, just as importantly, raising the issue before your current support order ends can make the difference between having the option and losing it.

If your child is approaching college age and you want to understand your rights and obligations, the Law Office of Chad Foster can help you plan the timing and present your case. Reach out to discuss your family's situation.