Hello, Anonymous.
This one is tricky, as the general rule is that non-minor support (the term for college expenses) is at the Court's discretion. Basically, this means that it's up to the Judge.
Generally the Court wouldn't order reimbursement for costs incurred before the filing of a petition asking for it. Any contribution will mostly be for the for costs going forward.
Once a parent petitions the court for contribution, the Court will consider all the financial factors available to the parties. The Court may consider the income of any new spouse; it can consider past financial contributions to the child's college; the child's ability to get financial aid through loans and scholarships, and many, many other factors as well.
I hope this helps.
Answered on Jun 15th, 2015 at 8:45 AM