There’s no doubt that raising a child is expensive. Daycare, food and clothing costs alone can be enough to leave a family on unsteady financial footing. It can be even harder to make ends meet when a custodial parent is left to raise a child on his or her own. In these situations, the cost of raising a child can be even more overwhelming. Fortunately, these custodial parents have the right to seek child support from their child’s other parent, which can actually be a pretty broad and far-reaching type of support.

While child support is meant to help cover a portion of a child’s day-to-day expenses, including childcare and food, it can also cover other costs such as those pertaining to medical care. But the list doesn’t end there. In fact, in Missouri, a child support obligation may continue even after a child enters college. Under this circumstance, the support obligation can last up until the time the child graduates or he or she reaches the age of 21.

Of course, in order for child support to remain legally valid in these cases, certain requirements usually have to be met. For example, the child in question may have to be enrolled in a certain amount of credit hours in order to remain eligible for child support. The number of required credit hours may fluctuate depending on whether the child is working while enrolled in school. Additionally, the child must maintain grades that are good enough to qualify him or her for reenrollment, and transcripts must be presented to the parents at the beginning of each semester.

This is just a brief overview of what is oftentimes a complicated area of child support law. The financial support provided to children in college can be a lifesaver for both them and their custodial parent, though, which is why those who think they are eligible for this support should aggressively pursue it. An aggressive family law attorney may be able to help fight for the support a child deserves.