About noncustodial parent form..

Paying for College
1

<p>Hi, so I did submit my CSS profile and IDOC. Now the collegeboard is sending me an email saying I havent turned my noncustodial parent form... </p>

<p>So my parents got divorced several years ago, and my mom has been taking care of us. And I have to fill out a noncustodial form for my dad, but he said he earned some income but hasnt been filing the taxes... </p>

<p>And some questions on the form requires him to give them an amount of his income, W-2 form.. etc. </p>

<p>What should I do? The email says if I dont submit this form, they will reduce my chance of getting the financial aid from those colleges.. </p>

<p>Please help me!</p>

2

<p>Unfortunately the answer is that he has to fill it out for schools that require the CSS profile if you want aid from them. Sometimes they will waive the NCP form - but that is only if you have no contact with him, and then you need to provide proof of that - copies of court orders, or notarized documents from someone other than a family member certifying you have no contact. My son had one school on his list that required the CSS profile. We had to drop it from his choices because we couldn’t get the CSS NCP form. Fortunately none of his other schools were CSS schools.</p>

3

<p>First of all, your dad should be the one filling out the NCP form, not you.</p>

<p>Second, it doesn’t matter if he hasn’t been filing his taxes. The only year that matters is 2012 - and he can do that now. So, don’t worry about what he’s done (or not done) in the past. Focus on 2012 . . . and explain to him that if he isn’t willing to do this for you, there’s a good chance you’re not going to be eligible for the financial aid you need to pay for college.</p>

<p>He needs to step up now and help you. And if you’re in contact with him (which apparently you are, since you’ve already talked to him about the NCP form), I find it hard to imagine that you’d qualify for a waiver of the NCP requirement . . . unless there are really extraordinary circumstances that you haven’t mentioned here. (And, no, his unwillingness to file tax returns or complete the NCP form would generally not qualify as extraordinary circumstances!)</p>

<p>Good luck!</p>

4

<p>I concur with the two posters above. However, I will also say that for my son’s most recent CSS Profile, I also needed my 2011 taxes. And I want to say he needed his 2011 taxes, but I’m not certain of that. They wanted my 2012, my 2011, and then what I project for those most pertinent tax numbers for 2013. Finally, they wanted the NCP’s numbers for all of those same years.</p>

5

<p>Thank you so much, guys. I will definitely try to persuade my dad into submitting that form.</p>

6

<p>I talked to my dad and he said he filed his tax this year but last year, he was paid in cash… what do i do? :(</p>

7

<p>Just say he didn’t file.</p>

8

<p>its not one of the options… i need his 2011, 2012 and 2013 income…
should i just say he was unemployed?</p>

9

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<p>No, don’t say that unless it’s true. (And, from what you’ve just said, it isn’t.) At this point, I’d suggest contacting the colleges and asking them what you should do if your dad didn’t file a tax return in 2011.</p>

<p>Or he could just file the 2011 tax return now.</p>

<p>Sorry, I realize this is a mess. And your dad is going to need to continue to file annual tax returns for as long as you’re in school . . . you might as well tell him now.</p>

10

<p>he said he will file his taxes starting this year (2013) i guess i will just quit all this… there is no apparent solution here :frowning: and he doesnt understand why i cannot put his name off the form. he doesnt understand anything about this whole process…</p>

11

<p>Explain to him (again!) that if he doesn’t file his taxes for 2011 and 2012 and fill out the NCP Profile for you, you won’t be able to get the financial aid you need to attend college. If he won’t listen to you, is it possible that your mother or some other adult could explain it to him - perhaps your school guidance counselor or a family friend?</p>

<p>Also, if he earned little enough that he wasn’t required to file a tax return, there is a non-filer’s form you could submit. I believe you’d have to request it from each college. (A quick google search suggested that different schools use different forms.) He would have to sign it and, in some cases, so would you. Do not use this form unless he really wasn’t required to file a tax return - you don’t want to lie!</p>

<p>Meanwhile, contact the schools and explain the problem. Maybe they will give you an extension on filing the NCP Profile . . . and that will give you some extra time to try and convince him.</p>

12

<p>@ syb0329, Another possible solution (though it may end up being no solution at all):</p>

<p>If you truly have tried everything with your dad, so far, to try to elicit his cooperation, you could just fill in all of his contact information on your CSS Profile form, explain what you’ve explained to us in the additional information box towards he end of the application, and leave it to the school (and/or via CSS Profile) to contact him. Some schools WON’T attempt to contact him – they simply won’t have the manpower or energy to do so. SOME schools will attempt to contact him – and several times, too. Sadly, if he won’t listen to his own child and cooperate, I doubt he’ll listen to them and cooperate. But this unhealthy process of begging your dad for something he’s not going to do can end for you. </p>

<p>Potential consequence of ending the back and forth: you may not get any financial aid to any of your Profile schools. But, the fact seems to be that this is not in your control and may well end this way no matter what you do. Tell your dad very clearly, just ONE more time, that this is how it might be for you, due to his lack of cooperation. If it helps you to know how each school will respond to a lack of dad’s cooperation, call the FA office of each of your Profile schools and ask, “My dad will not file his taxes or complete his NCP forms. I’ve listed his contact information and explained his reticence on my Profile. Are you able to tell me what will happen next?”</p>

<p>If you elect to take my advice, don’t mention these forms or this issue to him again. Stop the unhealthy back and forth. When the aid process is over, if you get good aid, don’t bring it up with your dad (unless he changed his ways and cooperated). If you get zero aid from these schools, and if the subject comes up with your dad, you can tell him one time, and as unemotionally as possible, that you got no aid from any of those schools because they didn’t receive the required information from your NCP, and leave it at that. No more back and forth. It’s not good for you. </p>

<p>We’ve been there; done that. It stinks that you’re in this predicament. </p>

<p>FYI to your dad. Even cash-only earners are required to file income taxes if they make more than (roughly) $10-14K for unmarried filing statuses, or roughly $19-22K for Married Filing Jointly status. If your dad made more than that in 2011, he was/is required to file.</p>