Opinion ID: 1644958
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: whether the court's decision ordering evans to pay a percentage of robert's college expenses was error.

Text: ¶ 21. Evans contends that the chancellor erred by requiring him to pay seventy-five percent of Robert's future college expenses. Evans avers that Beverly made no request for Robert's college expenses in her pleadings, and that no evidence was adduced at trial regarding Robert's plan to go to college; his aptitude for college; or Evans's ability to pay. For the most part, we agree. ¶ 22. College expenses, though not technically child support, may be awarded by the chancery court. Lawrence, 574 So.2d at 1382; see also Southerland v. Southerland, 816 So.2d 1004, 1006 (Miss.2002) (recognizing that college tuition is part of child support) (citation omitted). The court may adjudge that one or both parents should provide the means for college education for their minor children. Rankin v. Bobo, 410 So.2d 1326, 1328 (Miss. 1982) (citing Pass v. Pass, 238 Miss. 449, 118 So.2d 769 (1960)). The law also recognizes that college is expensive and can cause much sacrifice on the part of the parents. Id. at 1328-29. Thus, such sacrifice ordinarily cannot be demanded, but must be earned by children through respect for their parents, love, affection, and appreciation of parental efforts. Id. at 1329. When a [parent's] financial ability is ample to provide a college education and the child shows an aptitude for such, the court may in its discretion, after hearing, require the [parent] to provide such education. Saliba v. Saliba, 753 So.2d 1095, 1101 (Miss.2000). But the parental duty to send a child to college is not absolute; rather it is dependent upon the proof and circumstances of each case. Rankin, 410 So.2d at 1328 (citing Hambrick v. Prestwood, 382 So.2d 474 (Miss.1980)). ¶ 23. The chancellor's order that both parties share in Robert's future college expenses without either party raising the issue in their respective pleadings is not a procedural concern. See Brennan v. Brennan, 638 So.2d 1320, 1325 (Miss.1994) (the submission of child support to a chancellor includes all matters touching on that subject) (internal quotation marks omitted). The problem lies, however, with the lack of evidence pertaining to Robert's future college expenses. Though there was clear evidence demonstrating a good relationship between Evans and Robert, and, arguably, some evidence indicating that Robert possesses the aptitude for college, [7] no evidence was presented as to when, where, or if Robert may go to college. Further, the chancellor's award of college expenses was not specific as to what it encompassed (tuition, books, housing, incidentals, etc.). Thus, there was no proof as to what Robert's specific needs will be in the future, or as to Evans's financial ability to meet those needs. ¶ 24. The decreed settlement in this case does not mention anything about providing a college education for the two minor children. Therefore, ordering the payment of college expenses requires modification of the decreed settlement agreement, premised on a finding that there has been a substantial and material change in circumstances since the original decree. Lawrence, 574 So.2d at 1382. Here, evidence did not reveal a substantial and material change in circumstances warranting a decree modification; thus the modification was manifest error.