Domestic relations; duration of child support for postsecondary education; provide
House Bill 510 would amend Georgia’s child support statute to allow courts, in their discretion, to order child support to continue for a child who is enrolled in and attending postsecondary education. The bill applies to support orders entered on or after July 1, 2025, and covers attendance at technical schools, vocational schools, colleges, universities, or other postsecondary institutions. Support under this provision could continue until age 24, but not beyond, and the court would be required to verify enrollment and attendance.
In setting the amount of support for postsecondary education, the court would consider tuition as well as additional fees and expenses related to enrollment and attendance. The bill also preserves enforcement rights for either parent, a nonparent custodian, a guardian appointed to receive support, or the child benefiting from the order. The measure is framed as a change to the duration of child support in domestic relations cases involving divorce, separate maintenance, legitimacy, or paternity.
HB510 would expand Georgia law by creating a new statutory basis for postsecondary education-related child support orders, adding to the existing authority that already allows support for certain adult children still in secondary school. It would amend O.C.G.A. § 19-6-15 to authorize courts to order financial assistance for college or vocational education in qualifying cases, while limiting that obligation to children under 24 and only for orders entered on or after July 1, 2025. The bill would affect parents subject to support orders, as well as custodians, guardians, and children who may enforce those orders.
Based on the bill text and the absence of recorded committee debate or votes in the provided materials, the overall sentiment appears neutral-to-supportive in concept, as the bill is presented as a domestic relations measure intended to address educational support after high school. The caption and structure suggest a policy expansion rather than a controversial overhaul, but no formal vote history or transcript is available here to show broader legislative reaction.
The main point of potential contention is the extension of child support obligations beyond the age of majority for postsecondary education, which could be viewed as increasing parental financial responsibility. Questions may also arise over the court’s discretion, the requirement to verify enrollment and attendance, and how tuition, fees, and other expenses should be calculated. Because the bill applies only to orders entered on or after July 1, 2025, another possible issue is its prospective application and whether similarly situated families will be treated differently depending on timing.