Gay Teen Kicked Out of Home Becomes School's Co-Valedictorian

[+ Avalon]

https://www.advocate.com/youth/2018/7/27/gay-teen-kicked-out-home-becomes-schools-co-valedictorian

 

I wonder if he would have grounds to sue his parents for college support?

[Bearofdistinction]

https://www.advocate.com/youth/2018/7/27/gay-teen-kicked-out-home-becomes-schools-co-valedictorian

 

I wonder if he would have grounds to sue his parents for college support?

 

Survival, success and happiness are the best revenge! I hope he attains all of his goals - finds a wonderful man to share his life with, becomes extremely wealth and sends an XMAS card with a picture that captures his victory's and sends to Mah and Pah in the trailer park

[+ poolboy48220]

I wonder if he would have grounds to sue his parents for college support?

Doubt it. Parents paying for college is nowhere near universal; some of my good friends, from good homes, paid their own way through college. I was lucky enough that my parents paid my way. I think once you turn 18, any legal obligation for anykind of support is over.

[+ sniper]

In cases of divorce courts usually will expect a parent to provide some support beyond 18 but sounds like his parents are still married.

If they kicked him out when he was underage it's possible he has some cause of action against them, but it's unlikely that he'd get all that much probably.

Also he happened to pick one of the most expensive schools in the country, I'm not sure even a court that found they had an obligation to provide some support would expect the payers to have zero say in where.

[MikeBiDude]

Survival, success and happiness are the best revenge! I hope he attains all of his goals - finds a wonderful man to share his life with, becomes extremely wealth and sends an XMAS card with a picture that captures his victory's and sends to Mah and Pah in the trailer park

If you do some “reading between the lines math” in the article...seems like Mah and Pah were committing themselves to about $55k for first year tuition ($77k tuition minus the $22k financial aid)

 

So....doubtful they live in a trailer. Still though - they don’t seem to be running for parents of the year.

[+ sniper]

If you do some “reading between the lines math” in the article...seems like Mah and Pah were committing themselves to about $55k for first year tuition ($77k tuition minus the $22k financial aid)

 

So....doubtful they live in a trailer. Still though - they don’t seem to be running for parents of the year.

 

You have it flipped. 55K was the finanical aid, 22k was the total(parents plus the kid) contribution. Without knowing what fraction of demonstrated need Georgetown claims to meet hard to know exactly, they're likely not in a trailer but also probably far from rich. What the school expects you to pay isn't what they think you have lying around, it's what they think you can afford to borrow.

[MikeBiDude]

You have it flipped. 55K was the finanical aid, 22k was the total(parents plus the kid) contribution. Without knowing what fraction of demonstrated need Georgetown claims to meet hard to know exactly, they're likely not in a trailer but also probably far from rich. What the school expects you to pay isn't what they think you have lying around, it's what they think you can afford to borrow.

Oops! Thx for correction

[+ honcho]

I quote the cited article:

 

However, the GoFundMe page has already accumulated over $30,000, which means that Owen will be be covered for his first year.

 

I'm not a lawyer, and I don't live in DC, but in many states, during that year, he could become an "emancipated minor", meaning

that he's responsible for his own debts and finanically independent from his parents, which one would hope would trigger a re-evaluation by Georgetown. Seems like a reasonble gamble!

[+ Kman]

I am sure it feels like a bigger adventure to go to school out of state but damn you got to be practical. It's just over 14 grand for 4 years to go to Florida State (in-state tuition). I am assuming Georgetown would be better from an academic stand point...but with a 4.1 gpa I think he would have a good chance of not paying anything to go to FSU or maybe Univ of FL. I was in a similar situation where I was on my own well before college, so no financial support for college (not that my parents could have given any) and I could have gone out of state but I would still be paying off my loans (12 years later) but I benefited greatly by going in state and having zero debt for my undergrad degree.

[+ sniper]

Yeah especially if he's going to be a lawyer where your law school is more important than your undergrad degree.

[+ Kman]

Yeah especially if he's going to be a lawyer where your law school is more important than your undergrad degree.

 

Yes good point, do really well in undergrad and have a good chance of getting into a first tier law school.

[+ sniper]

A friend of mine who went to Harvard for his bachelors wanted to go to Harvard Business School but couldn't get in because from the pool of Harvard graduates he was nothing special. Had he gone to Duke or something and been at the top of his class he'd have gotten in.

[fedssocr1]

I do agree somewhat that setting realistic goals makes some sense. It is a shame that Georgetown refused to reevaluate his financial aid package given the reality of his situation. As a Catholic school I wonder if that makes a difference?

 

But, best of luck to him. DC has a huge and varied gay community something Tallahassee and Gainesville don't have.

[+ WilliamM]

I am sure it feels like a bigger adventure to go to school out of state but damn you got to be practical. It's just over 14 grand for 4 years to go to Florida State (in-state tuition). I am assuming Georgetown would be better from an academic stand point...but with a 4.1 gpa I think he would have a good chance of not paying anything to go to FSU or maybe Univ of FL. I was in a similar situation where I was on my own well before college, so no financial support for college (not that my parents could have given any) and I could have gone out of state but I would still be paying off my loans (12 years later) but I benefited greatly by going in state and having zero debt for my undergrad degree.

 

Financial considerations are important, but so is the superior education at Georgetown (for four yesrs). Whatever he decides to pursue after college, even if is just a first job, Georgetown is the best option by far.

[+ WilliamM]

I am sure it feels like a bigger adventure to go to school out of state but damn you got to be practical. It's just over 14 grand for 4 years to go to Florida State (in-state tuition). I am assuming Georgetown would be better from an academic stand point...but with a 4.1 gpa I think he would have a good chance of not paying anything to go to FSU or maybe Univ of FL. I was in a similar situation where I was on my own well before college, so no financial support for college (not that my parents could have given any) and I could have gone out of state but I would still be paying off my loans (12 years later) but I benefited greatly by going in state and having zero debt for my undergrad degree.

 

Georgetown may be better if it is only four or so coursse that make a difference later in life, especially history and/ or literture courses

[+ Kman]

Financial considerations are important, but so is the superior education at Georgetown (for four yesrs). Whatever he decides to pursue after college, even if is just a first job, Georgetown is the best option by far.

 

Georgetown may be better if it is only four or so coursse that make a difference later in life, especially history and/ or literture courses

 

Yes, Georgetown would be far better and based on his experiences I hope he is able to go (I would understand if he just wanted to go out of state just to get away from where he grew up). But as said above if he goes into law school or other grad school his undergrad degree won’t mean as much.

 

I am guessing he has considered these options and I’m sure he will do well wherever he goes.