After paying bills for tuition, room, board, and other college costs, it may come as a shock that the college your child attends will not provide you with their grades.  Officially, your 18-year-old is an adult, so, legally, you will have to seek their permission to make healthcare and financial decisions for them, along with asking them to provide you with updates on how they are doing in their classes!

 This information has some critical implications.  For example, if your student sustains a serious injury or illness, you will need written permission from your teen to discuss and make healthcare choices for their treatment with the healthcare professionals treating them.  Therefore, it’s an excellent idea to get a Health Care Proxy (also called a medical power of attorney) signed by your college-bound student before they leave for college so you can make medical decisions on their behalf in emergency situations.  Since each state has different requirements, it’s important that the document aligns with the state laws where it may be used. 

You can also get a HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) authorization (also called a HIPAA release) signed by your teen so that healthcare providers can give you information about your teen’s general healthcare.

Lastly, you may want to get a Durable Power of Attorney that will allow you to make financial decisions on their behalf. 

Here is a link to an excellent article with online resources for these forms: GrownandFlown: The Legal Documents You Need When Your Child Turns 18

Thinking ahead and being prepared is prudent; these documents will give you peace of mind as you send your 18-year-old off to college.