College and Adult Child Support in Idaho: Post-Secondary and Disabled Children

By the FigureMyTax Editorial Team · How we calculate

Idaho child support does not cover college: the Guidelines say support for education after high school is not available. Parents can agree to share costs in an agreement the court approves, and we found no provision for a disabled adult child.

Does child support cover college in Idaho?

Not under the Idaho Child Support Guidelines. They provide a method for children under 18 or pursuing high school up to 19, and support for education after high school is not available under them (Rule 126(a)). The child support statute likewise runs to 18, with an optional extension only for high school (32-706).

Can parents agree to pay for college in Idaho?

Yes. Parents can agree in writing to share college costs, for example in a divorce settlement, and ask the court to approve it. Put the amount, the schools, grade conditions and an end date in the agreement.

Is there child support for a disabled adult child in Idaho?

We found no provision in the child support sections we read for support of an adult child with a disability. Rule 126 treats a parent’s incapacity and disability benefits in other ways: potential income is not included for a physically or mentally incapacitated parent, and certain disability benefits are added to income. If this is your situation, talk to a licensed Idaho attorney about your options.

How are benefits paid on behalf of a child counted?

Gross income includes disability and retirement payments to or on behalf of a child, and a disabled or retired parent’s benefit payments are added to the parent’s income where they are received by the parent entitled to support and credited against the disabled or retired parent’s support obligation (Rule 126(e)).

What are the age limits for a given birth date?

After those dates any college help comes only from an agreement.

Can the other parent be asked to contribute after 21?

The statutes we read provide no right to child support after the child passes the high school cap, so any later contribution depends on a written agreement or a separate arrangement. If you are planning a divorce settlement, this is the moment to negotiate it.

What does the Idaho statute say about education support?

The statute speaks of an amount “reasonable or necessary for his or her support and education until the child is eighteen”, so education is part of what support covers while the child is a minor, and the only extension it names is for a child who continues high school (32-706(1)-(2)). Anything past that comes from an agreement.

What about a child who works or earns income?

The child’s own financial resources are one factor in setting support while the child is a minor (32-706(1)(a)), but the statutes we read do not make a working child’s earnings end the duty before 18. Ask the court if you think the order should change.

How are college costs handled in an agreement?

• Which costs are covered: tuition, housing, books or a cap.
• Each parent’s share and when payments are due.
• Grade or enrollment conditions and what happens if the child leaves school.
• An end date or maximum number of years.
• Court approval so the agreement can be enforced.

What about unpaid support from before the end?

It stays owed: see how long Idaho arrears last and the Idaho child support end date calculator.

Frequently asked questions

Official sources

• Idaho Code 32-706: child support until 18; high school to 19
• Idaho Child Support Guidelines, Rule 126(a): application
• Idaho Code 32-1215: termination of income withholding
• Idaho Code 32-709: modification

This is general information, not legal advice. It is based on the cited Idaho statutes, rules and court opinions, and every case turns on its own facts. Confirm how the law applies to your situation with a licensed Idaho attorney.