Do I have to contribute to post-secondary education costs?
The obligation of parents to pay for their child’s post-secondary education is a fact specific question. In some cases, parents simply cannot afford to pay for their children’s post-secondary costs.
In cases where it would be reasonable for the parents to contribute to post-secondary expenses, there can be an obligation on the child to make some contributions and to maximize grants and bursaries available to them while they are in attendance at school.
Other considerations for contributions of post-secondary expenses are the number of years the child may have to attend university or college. It is typically reasonable to pay for an undergraduate or first-in-time program for a child. However, if a child is a career student and continues to enroll in courses without an end in sight, Courts have ordered that they are deemed no longer a dependent.
The facts of a given case will dictate what is reasonable in the circumstances given the financial constraints of a family. It is simply unreasonable to assume that parents can write a blank cheque for any post-secondary expense.
