Many parents in the New Port Richey area want their children to go to college someday. However, paying for college is expensive and many students need to take out student loans to finance their education. However, child custody decisions made when the child was young could affect the child’s ability to obtain student loans to pay for their college education or even possibly which college they can attend.
Free Application for Federal Student Aid
Many soon-to-be college students will apply for loans by having a parent fill out a Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, form. However, only the custodial parent must file the FAFSA. The child will generally receive more in student loans if the custodial parent who filed for FAFSA also has a lower income and fewer assets than the noncustodial parent.
Choosing a college
Depending on the circumstances, some divorce agreements include provisions stating that both parents must agree on the child’s selection of a college. If a parent disagrees with that choice, it could affect whether they have to contribute to the costs of their child’s college education. However, if such provisions are left out of the divorce agreement, both parents may be required to contribute to the child’s college expenses, even if they oppose the choice of school.
Child custody can impact the child’s college experience
As this shows, provisions made in a parent’s divorce decree could affect their child’s future college education. This post does not contain legal advice, and it cannot promise any specific outcome when it comes to child custody and college choice and expenses. Parents in Florida seeking a divorce will want to ensure that their divorce decree includes provisions about their child’s future college experience to avoid any surprises later down the road.