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

By the FigureMyTax Editorial Team · How we calculate

Oregon child support can cover college, vocational school and similar programs up to 21 for an unmarried child at least half-time with satisfactory progress, if the order provides for a child attending school. We found no separate disabled-adult rule.

Does child support cover college in Oregon?

Yes, if the order provides for a child attending school. “School” includes a high school, community college, four-year college or university; a professional, vocational or technical course, including Job Corps; and a high school equivalency course, grade 12 or below programs and home schooling (ORS 107.108(1)(c)). The child must be unmarried, 18 to under 21, making satisfactory academic progress and carrying at least half of a full-time load.

What counts as a regularly scheduled break?

A summer term, a period of up to four months between graduating or finishing school and the next term, the time between terms, and any other break the school defines as regularly scheduled (107.108(1)(b)). Support continues through those breaks if the child otherwise qualifies.

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

The sections we read cover children attending school up to 21. We did not find a separate disabled-adult-child rule in them, so talk to a licensed Oregon attorney before the 18th birthday about your options.

Can the court end support early?

Yes. After notice to the child, the court may suspend future support for any child who has ceased to be a child attending school, and may terminate support for a child who has become self-supporting, emancipated or married (107.135(1)(c)-(d)).

What are the age limits for a given birth date?

Does the child need a lawyer?

The statute makes the child a party but does not require counsel; ask the court clerk or the Division of Child Support about forms for a child attending school (107.108(3)).

Can the child take part in the case?

Yes. A child attending school is a party to any legal proceeding related to the support order and may apply for child support services, ask for a judicial or administrative modification, receive notice and take part, and agree that payments not made to the Department of Justice be credited for amounts that would have been paid to the child (ORS 107.108(3)). An unmarried 18 to 21 year old is a necessary party to certain proceedings even if not a child attending school (107.108(4)).

What if the child asks for privacy?

If an order of nondisclosure about the child has been entered, the child can provide the notice and information in a way that protects the address (107.108(6)(c)). Ask the court clerk how to file it.

Who pays the child directly?

Payments go through the Department of Justice as the state disbursement unit when support is assigned, when the agency provides services, or when an order requires withholding (ORS 25.020), and the department disburses them to those lawfully entitled, which for a child attending school is the child.

What proof helps?

• Enrollment letters showing the course load against the school’s full-time load.
• Grades or the school’s statement of satisfactory academic progress.
• The child’s written notice and the signed records consent.
• Marital status, if it is in dispute.

What about unpaid support from before?

It stays owed: see whether Oregon arrears expire or can be forgiven and the Oregon child support end date calculator.

Frequently asked questions

Official sources

• ORS 107.108 and 107.135: child attending school; modification
• ORS chapter 25: support enforcement
• ORS 82.010: interest
• OAR 137-055-3220

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