<p>Just went through a lengthy court battle to get my kids' father to contribute for college expenses. Judge has ruled that dad does NOT have to pay anything. Anyone know what financial aid offices do in this situation? Kids are college students.</p>
<p>Ouch…are you saying that your kids go to Profile schools that require the NCP?</p>
<p>When a student completes a FAFSA, only the financial information for the custodial parent is reported. Many schools only use the FAFSA in determining financial aid. </p>
<p>Some schools use the Profile, others use their own additional form, and many of these schools do expect that financial information of the non-custodial parent be reported. What this means is that for schools that collect non-custodial parent info, a contribution from the non-custodial parent is expected … and the fact that the court is not obligating that parent to contribute is irrelevant. You might want to avoid these schools.</p>
<p>Oops - see that your kids ARE in college. If they are Profile schools using NCP info, Dad is expected to pay. If he decides not to at this stage of the game, he is hurting his kids.</p>
<p>The above is correct.</p>
<p>Few NCPs are required by the courts to pay for college costs. However, that means nothing to schools that expect NCPs to pay. Schools that expect NCPs to pay are not going to give more money just because a judge has said that an NCP doesn’t have to pay.</p>
<p>I hope that your kids are not at CSS Profile schools that require NCP info…</p>
<p>Gotta say…there is nothing that requires MARRIED parents to pay for college…and some choose not to. This doesn’t matter to the colleges…they care whether you CAN pay, not whether you want to. I can’t see that this should be different for married or divorced parents where the info is required by the colleges for both parents.</p>
<p>I am sorry you have found yourself in this position. Paying for college is a challenge for a lot of families and is more complicated when the parents are divorced. I don’t have any answers - as thumper said married parents aren’t required to pay for college but their income is counted regardless. Hopefully your story will be a warning to parents when they are getting divorced to address the college tuition in the divorce decree. Of course this is more easily said than done! FAFSA only schools will not count the NCP info - if that is even an option at this point. I wish you luck.</p>