Why Tom Cruise Will Be Paying For Suri's College Education Despite Having No Part In Her Life

It's no secret that Tom Cruise has little involvement in his daughter Suri's life. After his split from Katie Holmes in 2012, the actor didn't receive custody of his and Holmes' child. She claimed that divorce was a measure of protection, keeping Suri safe from Cruise's religion. At the end of their custody discussions, which lasted less than two weeks, the "Mission Impossible" star was awarded just 10 visitation days. Though there were some odd stipulations in their quickie divorce, Cruise didn't press the custody agreement, and since that time, he has been estranged from Suri by all accounts.

That doesn't excuse him from having to pay for her expenses, though. Initially, the agreed-upon deal stated that Cruise had to pay around $4.8 million in child support. It equates to about $400,000 annually and can be further broken down to just over $33,000 each month, according to TMZ. Considering he is worth more than half a billion, Cruise could have been ordered to pay much more — especially under New York law had the couple not wanted to settle expeditiously.

Fortunately, though the agreement specified payments would be made until Suri is 18, they also included the clause that he pays for all of her college education — which is right around the corner for teenage Suri.

Katie Holmes has a great relationship with her daughter Suri and just may be in the thick of helping her with college applications. Still, neither she nor Suri need any input from Tom Cruise — unless it's in dollars and cents. As far as we know, Cruise has not yet defaulted on his responsibilities in terms of financially supporting his daughter, so it's unlikely that the actor will fail to pay for her college education. It could cost him, though, especially if she gets into her top choices.

According to the Daily Mail, Suri is interested in possibly studying fashion at one of New York's premier schools. She has applied "all over the place," including institutions outside of NYC, but their source maintained that The Big Apple is where Holmes would prefer her daughter to stay for her schooling, as it is where the pair currently reside. Fashion school alone generally comes with a tuition tag of anywhere from a few thousand dollars to nearly $40,000.

Katie Holmes turned down her acceptance to Columbia University, but should Suri choose to go to her mom's alma mater (in a manner of speaking), Cruise would have to shell out even more — closer to $70,000. But thanks to his endeavors in Hollywood, most notably his long-running role in the "Mission Impossible" franchise, we're guessing tuition will basically be pennies to Cruise.

Tom Cruise's monthly child support payments are reported to total just over $33,000. That might be a drop in the bucket for him, but it surely comes in handy for Katie Holmes and Suri. The "Dawson's Creek" actor isn't destitute by any means, but still, Hollywood has seen much less of her over the years than it has of her ex-husband. For the most part, Holmes has stepped back from acting in both movies and television. More recently, she has taken to writing, directing, and producing films, such as her 2023 adaptation of the novel "Rare Objects." These days, she has also moved her talents to the stage, starring in the play "The Wanderers" in 2023.

The "Batman Begins" actor has also held several guest roles and agreed to numerous endorsement deals. We've seen her campaign for everything from Coach to Olay. Additionally, Holmes wasn't only the ambassador for Alterna Hair Care from 2013 to 2017, but was co-owner, too.

Holmes has sold some of her real estate, like her Los Angeles home in the star-studded region of Calabasas. She prefers to live in New York City with her daughter Suri, where they can enjoy the museums and theaters. Despite her business endeavors and property holdings, her net worth is estimated to be less than 5% of Cruise's, $25 million to his $600 million, making it probable that the doting mother won't have to pay up for Suri's New York fashion college tuition. We'd like to think she can have her cake and eat it, too!