Florida College Cost Contribution Estimator

No, Florida courts cannot order divorced parents to pay college expenses. Under Florida Statute § 61.13(1)(a), child support terminates at age 18 or high school graduation (up to age 19), with no provision for post-majority educational support. Florida is among the 34 states without college contribution statutes. However, parents can voluntarily agree to college cost-sharing in their marital settlement agreement, and courts will enforce these contractual provisions.

Since Florida courts cannot mandate college contribution, factors only matter when parents voluntarily negotiate terms in their settlement agreement. Common considerations include each parent's income and earning capacity, the child's academic performance and chosen school, whether public or private tuition applies, available 529 savings, and financial aid eligibility. Parents typically specify percentage splits (often 50/50), maximum annual amounts, and conditions like maintaining good academic standing.

Florida law imposes no caps since there's no statutory college support requirement. Parents creating voluntary agreements commonly include their own caps, such as limiting contribution to in-state public university rates (approximately $6,400 annually for Florida residents at state universities) or setting dollar maximums. Without explicit caps in the settlement agreement, the obligation follows whatever terms the parties negotiated—courts enforce the contract as written.

Under federal rules effective 2024-25, the parent providing greater financial support completes the FAFSA—not necessarily the custodial parent. If support is exactly 50/50, the higher-income parent files. A stepparent's income and assets must be included if that parent has remarried. Child support received counts as untaxed income. These are federal rules applying uniformly in Florida; parents cannot simply choose who files based on which yields better aid.

The account owner (named participant) maintains legal control of 529 plan assets. Florida treats these as marital property subject to equitable distribution in divorce, but only the named owner can make withdrawals or investment changes. To protect funds, divorce decrees should specify freezing the account, naming the other parent as successor participant, or splitting into two accounts. Without protective language, an owner-spouse could legally deplete the child's college savings.

Yes, voluntary college contribution agreements are fully enforceable in Florida. While courts cannot order college support, they will enforce provisions parents negotiate into their marital settlement agreement. The Shernoff v. Shernoff (Fla. 4th DCA 2024) case confirmed courts enforce 529 funding obligations written into divorce decrees. Specify clear terms: percentage splits, covered expenses (tuition, room, board), school type limits, duration, and academic performance requirements.

No, Florida has no statute requiring divorced parents to contribute to any college costs—public or private. Any private school obligation must come from a voluntary agreement between parents in their divorce settlement. Parents negotiating college provisions often cap contributions at public in-state university rates, which protects the paying parent if the child chooses an expensive private institution while still ensuring educational support.

Florida's child support statute terminates mandatory support at age 18 (or high school graduation up to age 19). Since there's no statutory college support, there's no statutory end age. For voluntary agreements, the terms you negotiate control—common provisions specify support until age 22-23, completion of a bachelor's degree, or a maximum of four years of undergraduate study. Without explicit terms, courts interpret the agreement's intent based on its language.