<p>Im going to set up a scenario…</p>
<p>A Kid gets in to a great prep school, but the day before he gets accepted, his parents decide they are going to get divorced. If the other parent no longer wanted to pay, but they weren’t legally divorced yet, how would a prep school handle this?</p>
<p>Schools expect both parents to be on the same page and contribute to tuition, regardless of marital status.</p>
<p>Well, it’s not really quite that simple. There are two issues here. First is the other parent’s willingness to send the kid to boarding school. Payment issues aside, if he or she is no longer willing to sign the contract that says, “It’s okay for my kid to enroll,” then the kid can’t go. Period. Regardless of whether or not there are funds to pay for it.</p>
<p>The second issue is money. If the parents are legally separated or legally divorced, or the other parent is simply gone and no longer in contact or paying support, custodial parent can state that “other parent” is non-compliant and is either paying nothing or is unwilling to pay more than an existing support order requires him/her to pay. If that statement is supported by the declaration of a 3rd party - either minister, social worker, therapist, or lawyer - then the school may be willing to rely on the custodial parent’s income in determining ability to pay tuition and eligibility for financial aid. (Well, up to a point, anyway. Obviously, if the non-compliant parent is fabulously wealthy, that’s going to present problems.)</p>
<p>All of this ignores the final issue presented in this scenario, however, and that’s the timing. If the student applied as a full pay candidate, and circumstances change dramatically at the last minute, it’s going to be up to the discretion (and resources) of the school to determine if the funds can be made available to provide the student with a financial aid grant.</p>
<p>The school will, more than likely, expect both parents to contribute and the award will be based on the already submitted PFS plus other factors. For the same reason that most colleges rarely allow students to declare as emancipated - because over the years people have tried every trick in the book to reduce their financial exposure.</p>
<p>Assuming you’re a full pay, what is clear is that needing FA (or an increased amount) would put you in a highly competitive pool because schools have limited dollars to spread around. So - in your case above, if one parent is non-compliant (especially if the change is recent) the answer is - increased aid (or any aid at all) depends on if sufficient proof of hardship can be obtained, and how badly the school wants you over other students in the pool also needing FA.</p>
<p>I’m trying to comprehend parents who would do this to their child. Do people wake up one morning and mutually agree, “oh, let’s get divorced?” I don’t think so. I think if the timing is that precise, at least one partner’s been considering it for a while. </p>
<p>“Decide to get divorced” glides over the unpleasant parts of divorce, which generally involve lawyers. And fights over everything, including children and money. Some divorce decrees include provision for payment of tuition for K-12 and college. It depends how good the other spouse’s lawyer is, and just how miserable the adults are willing to make everyone around them. </p>
<p>I have no idea what a school would do if a previously full-pay student were suddenly in need of FA due to a parents’ divorce. I think it would be a very good way to destroy your relationship with your child. It’s no fun to learn suddenly you can’t attend a school, because a parent’s changed his mind. To wait until the acceptance is in hand to break the news seems needlessly cruel.</p>
<p>In other words, in a divorce private school tuition is the least of one’s worries. I would worry more about how one’s children would handle the divorce. I think we all know adults who are permanently estranged from their parents. </p>
<p>If the parent considering the divorce can pay the tuition, he/she should do so, without dragging the whole family through the misery of combat in court. If this parent plans to divorce the other parent, and can pay tuition, he/she should put funds in escrow with a trustee to pay the fees. Don’t view the child as a possession to be fought over. Tuition payments benefit the child–they are not supporting the spouse. 8th grade is too close to adulthood. The child will fully understand the choices the parents have made. </p>
<p>That is, if that parent might ever want to attend weddings, see grandchildren, etc.</p>
<p>Hypothetically.</p>