An Associated Press story about a New Hampshire case illustrates an odd distinction between divorced and married couples — in 17 states, divorced parents can be ordered to pay for the college expenses of their adult children where married parents would never be subject to such court orders.
The AP story focuses on Alexander Durand whose daughter was accepted at both Brandeis and Brown University. A court ordered Durand to pay for half his daughters’ tuition to Brown University even though Brandeis offered his daughter a better financial aid package.
Such cases are creating something of a righteous backlash with New Hampshire considering a bill that prohibit courts form ordering divorced parents to pay for college expenses of their adult children.
At its core, these states are involved in the worst sort of social engineering. As lawyer Kate Haakonsen, who helped draft a law in Connecticut to require divorced parents to pay for college expenses, told the Associated Press,
Children of divorced parents are less likely to go to college, less likely to go to prestigious schools, and generally are less economically successful than their parents. As a matter of public policy, we have to decide if that’s what we want.
No, these are not matters for public policy, but are rather private decisions to be made by the families involved without the heavy hand of the state inserting itself into the middle of the process.
Source:
Obligations survive marriage. Associated Press, September 15, 2003.