New Hampshire College Cost Contribution Estimator

No, New Hampshire courts cannot order parents to pay college expenses. RSA 461-A:14(V) explicitly prohibits child support orders from requiring contributions to adult children's college or post-secondary education. However, RSA 461-A:21 (effective August 2013) permits parents to voluntarily create enforceable college contribution agreements as part of their divorce decree. If both parents sign a compliant agreement, the court must enforce it under RSA 461-A:23.

Since New Hampshire requires voluntary agreements rather than court-ordered contributions, the factors are negotiated between parents. Common considerations include each parent's income and assets, the child's academic ability and college preferences, public vs. private school costs, and each parent's educational background. Agreements must specify contribution amounts as fixed dollars, percentages, or formulas. Parents often allocate costs 50/50 or proportionally based on income ratios.

New Hampshire law imposes no statutory caps on college contribution amounts, age limits, or school types. Parents define all limits within their voluntary agreements under RSA 461-A:21. Common negotiated caps include limiting contributions to in-state public university rates (approximately $19,000-$22,000 annually for New Hampshire schools), setting age cutoffs at 22-23, or capping total years of support at 4-5 years. These terms are entirely customizable between parents.

Starting with the 2024-25 FAFSA, the parent providing greater financial support completes the application—not necessarily the custodial parent or the one who claims the child on taxes. If support is exactly equal, the parent with whom the child lived most completes the form. Child support received must be reported as untaxed income, while support paid no longer reduces the paying parent's income. Remarried parents must include stepparent income and assets.

New Hampshire 529 plans allow only single account ownership, so divorcing parents must decide who maintains control. Options include: splitting the account into two separate 529s (one per parent), designating one parent as owner with specific use restrictions in the divorce decree, or freezing the account to prevent withdrawals except for the child's education. Courts treat 529 contributions made during marriage as marital property subject to equitable division.

Yes, RSA 461-A:21 specifically authorizes enforceable college contribution agreements in New Hampshire divorce decrees. Your agreement must be signed by both parents, approved by the court, and specify contribution amounts (fixed dollars, percentages, or formulas). You must also designate whether the agreement is modifiable. Once finalized, RSA 461-A:23 requires courts to enforce compliant agreements, though RSA 461-A:24 mandates mediation before enforcement litigation.

New Hampshire law does not require any college contribution, public or private, unless parents voluntarily agree. RSA 461-A:14(V) prohibits courts from ordering such payments. If parents include private school provisions in their RSA 461-A:21 agreement, those terms are enforceable. Many parents cap contributions at state university rates (University of New Hampshire costs approximately $19,000-$22,000 annually for tuition) while allowing children to attend private schools if they cover the difference.

New Hampshire sets no statutory age limit for college support—parents define this in their voluntary agreements under RSA 461-A:21. Standard child support terminates at age 18 (or 19 if still in high school full-time) under RSA 461-A:14(IV). For college agreements, parents commonly specify support until age 22-23 or completion of a bachelor's degree, whichever occurs first. Some agreements include provisions for graduate school, while others explicitly exclude post-graduate education.