Family · Child Support
When Does Child Support End in Pennsylvania?
The age ordinary child support ends in Pennsylvania, whether a court can order a parent to help pay for college, the disability track, and how support can end early. Cited to the statute.
How child support ends in Pennsylvania
The end age, the college question, the disability track, and how support can end early.
| How it works | What it means |
|---|---|
| The later of 18 or graduation | Under 23 Pa.C.S. §4321, parents must support an unemancipated child until 18 or high-school graduation, whichever is later. |
| Disabled adult child | A parent may be required to support an adult child with a physical or mental condition that prevents self-support, recognized under §4321 and Pennsylvania case law, while the incapacity lasts. |
| Early emancipation | Marriage, self-support, or a court finding of emancipation ends the duty early. |
| College and early end | What it means |
|---|---|
| No court-ordered college (struck down) | Pennsylvania does not allow a court to order a parent to pay for college. The post-secondary-support statute, §4327, was ruled unconstitutional in Curtis v. Kline (1995) for treating children of divorced parents differently from those of intact families. Earlier, Blue v. Blue (1992) held there is no common-law duty to pay for college. |
| Agreements still bind | A college-contribution clause in a marital settlement or separation agreement is an enforceable contract even though a court could not impose the obligation. |
What you can do right now
Concrete, neutral steps around ending or extending child support in Pennsylvania. This is legal information, not legal advice.
- Count to the later of 18 or graduation
Support continues until the child turns 18 or finishes high school, whichever is later. A child still in school at 18 keeps support until graduation.
- Do not expect court-ordered college support
The college-support statute was struck down, and there is no common-law duty. Put any college arrangement in a written agreement instead.
- Address a disabled adult child separately
A parent may be required to support an adult child with a condition that prevents self-support, while the incapacity lasts.
- Talk to a Pennsylvania family attorney
Termination timing, disability support, and college agreements turn on your facts. A licensed Pennsylvania attorney can confirm your situation. The Bar can refer you to one.
When support ends, and whether college can be ordered, turn on your order and your facts. This resource can connect you with a court self-help center or a licensed family attorney.
→ Pennsylvania Bar Association — Find a LawyerThis is general legal information, not legal advice. Enrollment, emancipation, disability, and college conditions can change the answer, so confirm your situation with a court resource or a licensed attorney.
What people get wrong about child support ending in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania ends child support at the later of 18 or high-school graduation, so a child still in school at 18 keeps support until they finish. The college question has a notable history here. Pennsylvania once had a statute, 23 Pa.C.S. §4327, that let courts order divorced parents to pay for college. The state Supreme Court struck it down in Curtis v. Kline in 1995 on equal-protection grounds, because it treated children of divorced parents differently from children of intact families, who have no such right. Three years earlier, Blue v. Blue had already held there was no common-law duty to pay for a child’s college. The two cases are often confused, but they play different roles: Curtis v. Kline voided the statute, and Blue v. Blue closed the common-law route. The upshot is that a Pennsylvania court cannot order college support at all; only a college-contribution clause in a settlement agreement, which is an enforceable contract, can bind a parent. Section 4327 still prints in the code, but it is unenforceable. A disabled adult child can be supported while the incapacity lasts.
Common questions
At what age does child support end in Pennsylvania?
At 18 or high-school graduation, whichever is later, under 23 Pa.C.S. §4321. A child still in high school at 18 keeps support until graduation.
Can a Pennsylvania court order a parent to pay for college?
No. The college-support statute (§4327) was struck down as unconstitutional in Curtis v. Kline, and Blue v. Blue held there is no common-law duty. Only a voluntary agreement can bind a parent.
Was it Blue v. Blue or Curtis v. Kline that ended college support in Pennsylvania?
Both, in different roles. Curtis v. Kline (1995) struck down the college-support statute, while Blue v. Blue (1992) held there is no common-law duty to pay for college. Together they mean no court-ordered college support.
Can Pennsylvania child support continue for a disabled adult child?
Yes. A parent may be required to support an adult child with a physical or mental condition that prevents self-support, while the incapacity lasts.
Not legal advicePlainStatute provides plain-language summaries of public law for general information only. This is not legal advice. Statutes change; always confirm current requirements with the official source linked above before acting.