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When Child Support Ends in Connecticut

In Connecticut, child support ends at 18 but continues for an unmarried full-time high school student until 12th grade ends or age 19, and a court can enter an educational support order for college until the child turns 23.

Last checked . General information, not legal advice.

Connecticut at a glance

Support ends at
18
High school extension
Yes, to end of 12th grade or age 19, whichever is first
Applies to an unmarried full-time high school student in need of maintenance, in decrees entered on or after July 1, 1994.
Court can order college support
Yes, up to age 23
An educational support order covers up to four academic years and must generally be entered with the divorce decree or reserved in it.

Sources

Last checked

The rules in Connecticut

At what age does child support end in Connecticut?

Support ends at in Connecticut: 18.

Does child support continue in Connecticut while a child is still in high school?

High school extension in Connecticut: Yes, to end of 12th grade or age 19, whichever is first. Applies to an unmarried full-time high school student in need of maintenance, in decrees entered on or after July 1, 1994.

Can a court in Connecticut order a parent to pay support for college?

Yes, up to age 23. Court can order college support in Connecticut: yes, up to age 23. An educational support order covers up to four academic years and must generally be entered with the divorce decree or reserved in it.

Where do the Connecticut child support end age laws come from?

The rules above come from Conn. Gen. Stat. 46b-84 and Conn. Gen. Stat. 46b-56c. Each source is linked on this page. We last checked them in October 2026.

What this means in practice

Support does not always stop on its own. Depending on the state and the order, the paying parent may need to ask the court or the child support agency to end or adjust the order, and past-due support remains owed after the end date.

When there is more than one child on an order, the amount may not drop automatically when the oldest child reaches the end age. Reviewing how the order is written, and whether it lists a separate amount per child, helps show what happens next.

Parents can often agree in a divorce or separation agreement to pay for things the law does not require, such as college costs. A written agreement approved by the court can be enforced like an order, so its wording matters and a local family law attorney can review it.

General information, not legal advice. Laws change, and cities can add their own rules, so check the current statute before you rely on it.