Is a college application form considered a contract? I was a minor when I signed it is it now null and void?

Question by Jane: Is a college application form considered a contract? I was a minor when I signed it is it now null and void?
I applied for college when I was 17. 2 weeks before my first class my mother and I had a falling out and I was unable to purchase school books, or even travel to college. I signed this application 2 weeks before my 18th birthday. I never dropped the classes and now I am being charged $ 1400 + interception of my State tax return. Is this “application/contract” considered null and void?

Best answer:

Answer by Sadcat
In general, yes, it is a contract.

Also in general, minors cannot be held to contracts.

If you were 17 when you applied, the college or university probably would have required a parent or guardian’s signature. That person would be initially liable under the contract.

However, if you turn 18 and behave in any way consistently with the contract that you signed as a minor, then you are considered to have “ratified” the contract through your conduct as an adult.

Even if your parent did not sign on your behalf, if you didn’t drop the classes before your 18th birthday, your are considered to have ratified the contract through your inaction. Thus, on the day you turned 18, it became a valid contract.

Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!