9-year-old prodigy dropped out of college after learning he wouldn't graduate before he turned 10

A child prodigy was on track to be the youngest person to graduate from college until, his parents claim, the school veered off course.

Laurent Simons, 9, stepped into the global spotlight last month when news broke that he would finish his electrical engineering degree at the Eindhoven University of Technology (TUE) in the Netherlands in December, just before he turned 10, CNN reported.

Michael Kearney, an American who graduated in June 1994 at the age of 10 years and 4 months, is the current record holder, according to the New York Times.

The Simons family is blaming TUE for derailing the plan for their son.

According to CNN, Laurent's father, Alexander Simons, had "repeated his explicit wish that his son should obtain his bachelor degree at the age of 9, which means that Laurent must successfully complete his bachelor within ten months for a study that normally lasts three years."

However, the school recommended the 9-year-old finish his studies by mid-2020 due to the number of exams he still has to pass, which TUE pointed out would still be "in every way, a phenomenally fast schedule."

Laurent, instead, has reportedly accepted an offer to work toward a doctorate at a university in the U.S., although the exact school has not been revealed.

"The way they treat things, it's not correct," Simons said of TUE. "Laurent is not their belonging."

The university found the decision to leave "regrettable," and "maintains they never try to keep our students to ourselves."

The family has not revealed when their son will start at the U.S.-based university or where Laurent will study for his Ph.D. in electrical engineering, as Simons said the family will only share his progress at the end of any given course.

"We don't want to have pressure on him," he said.