<p>I should have looked into this earlier... I am suddenly quite worried.</p>
<p>I got divorced while pregnant with my now college-age daughter. I have had full physical and legal custody her entire life. She has never in any way lived with her father. He sees her sporadically and pays child support sporadically. It is NOT a hostile situation: he's just not the father type. </p>
<p>I now see that he's supposed to fill out a non-custodial parent form. </p>
<p>I have discussed college finances with him and he has agreed to contribute 10K/year. I'm not sure if he will fill out a financial form, but even if he will -- his income is not in the pot. Adding his income and 401K assets to mine gives a highly distorted view of the financial reality. It's essentially the equivalent of submitting the financial profile of my next door neighbor. It's not money I or my daughter can access. </p>
<p>Is there any way around this?</p>
<p>Two more pieces of info:
1. Neither of us are rich, nor extremely poor. We both make a reasonable middle-class income. Neither of us own a home. I believe he has a fairly large 401K. He is near retirement, in poor health, and worried about it.</p>
<ol>
<li>Since he has not been much involved in my daughter's life, I could have had him sign-off parental rights. I did not do so because I am quite sure that some of a father is better than no father -- except, evidently, in this situation.</li>
</ol>
<p>You’ll probably have to get him to fill it out. The only other option would be to ask each college if you could apply for a non-custodial parent waiver. It’s really up each individual school how they deal with waiver requests, but given your situation my guess is that it would be unlikely you’d get one. (If you really feel this is what you want to do, check for yourself. Don’t rely on what other people tell you, including me, it’s only what the colleges’ financial aid office says that counts.)</p>
<p>Another thing, if he does fill it out and the aid package your daughter receives relies on a greater contribution from him that he can afford or is willing to pay, you can go back and explain the situation and see if they’ll give you an adjustment. A family I know did this and the college worked with them and improved their son’s aid award enough that it made it possible for him to attend.</p>
<p>It would not matter what you’d gotten him to sign in the past, so don’t look back on that. In fact, no parent is obliged to support their 18 year old child under any circumstances, anyway. Colleges that use the CSS Profile financial aid application will assume, though, that the responsibility to pay for college resides primarily with the parents – many are generous with their own funds in awarding aid, but they need to allocate it to those students who have the least resources.</p>
<p>What, in particular, about my situation makes you think it is unlikely I will get one?</p>
<p>I would hope being SOLE physical and legal custodian her entire life is as good a reason as any for a waiver.</p>
<p>I’ve been delighted that he’s willing to contribute… I dunno, funny how things backfire. He would happily have wandered off into the blue. I’ve done my best to keep him in the picture, but I had NO idea that would affect my daughter’s educational opportunities. </p>
<p>I am wondering what happens if I just leave a blank for the father portion of the CSS.</p>
<p>From what I’ve read on CC, this is not enough. What is sufficient though, generally, is that you or your daughter haven’t had contact with him in X amount of years/can’t find him/etc. etc. This changes widely from college to college so check to make sure.</p>
<p>Have you ran your numbers through the College Board calculator using Institutional Methodology? That might give you an idea of what you would be expected to pay (assuming of course that your daughter is applying to 100% need met schools). Be aware, though, that this varies widely from school to school. You can also use this [url=<a href=“http://www.finaid.org/calculators/finaidestimate.phtml]FinAid”>http://www.finaid.org/calculators/finaidestimate.phtml]FinAid</a> | Calculators | Expected Family Contribution (EFC) and Financial Aid<a href=“Use%20Institutional%20Methodology”>/url</a></p>
<p>As far as I know, I don’t think money in 401K accounts or IRA accounts affect your EFC at all so you don’t have to worry about that. But your ex’s income/savings/investments will, so run your numbers through a calculator. </p>
<p>Can you afford your FAFSA EFC? Can you afford your PROFILE EFC (using the calculations?)</p>
<p>Has your daughter applied to any FAFSA-only schools?</p>
<p>I would hope being SOLE physical and legal custodian her entire life is as good a reason as any for a waiver.</p>
<p>No, because many single moms have sole physical and legal custody. The fact that there has been contact, etc, suggests that colleges might insist that he fill out the form. A college may give you a waiver, but not based on the fact that you’ve had sole custody.</p>
<p>The fact that he’s willing to contribute $10k per year is amazing. Many fathers in similar situations refuse to contribute ANYTHING. I understand the part where you say that his income/assets might as well be your neighbors. That’s the case with all divorces. One ex doesn’t have access to the other ex’s income/assets.</p>
<p>pays child support sporadically.</p>
<p>You could always go after him for back child-support if he changes his mind about paying. Or, maybe he’s agreed to the $10k per year, because he knows that he “owes you.”</p>
<p>I hope that your D did apply to some safety and FAFSA only schools.</p>
<p>The father paid child support even sproradically AND you do have contact with him. This is not an estranged father…uninvolved, yes…but not estranged.</p>
<p>You can ask for the waivers and see what happens, but I agree…it’s not likely to happen.</p>
<p>The above are correct based on a recent financial aid course I took. Waivers, which are up to the individual schools to give (and some are more generous than others), are rarely given when 1) you have any contact with the parent and 2)when any child support has been paid.</p>
<p>What he has in his 401K already will not count as an asset. What he plans to put in while she’s in college will, however. So unless his income produces an EFC higher than the $10K he’s offered to contribute, you’re probably OK. </p>
<p>Otherwise, like many families have to do, focus on FAFSA only schools. Almost everyone thinks their EFC is a distortion of reality!</p>
<p>Okay, I have accepted that he will have to fill out the form. I am relieved that his 401k will not be considered because that is a substantial chunk of money and since he is near retirement, I can understand why he, or anyone else, would not want to spend it on college.</p>
<p>I did not intend to represent him as estranged here or elsewhere. But yeah, given that he’s never been interested in being a parent, I now see the down-side of moving mountains to keep him in the picture.</p>
<p>I’m looking at the financial aid calculator. Can someone tell me if this is the right approach? 1) Run my numbers and get an estimate.
2) Run his numbers and get an estimate.
3) Add the two estimates. </p>
<p>Gatine, I don’t know the particulars of your situation, but of course your daughter knowing her father and having a father that’s willing to contribute at all to her needs, to her college costs, and just having a father at all… is WAY more valuable than some portion of a college bill. Not even a close call. You totally did the right thing.</p>
<p>not all private schools require a CSS from the non-custodial parent. I hope I am reading it correctly. One private on our list has no CSS code. Two say “first year - dependent only,” which I interpret as meaning that the non-custodial form is only required if the non-custodian can claim the kid as a dependent.</p>
<p>And thanks for your kind words rentof2. Yes, I did the right thing… just getting a little crazy over college costs for my straight A student. We all want max opportunities for our kids – though I do know one can get a good education anywhere. </p>
<p>I don’t see how any home owner in CA qualifies for financial aid. Neither I, nor my ex, own a home. It makes the future less secure; hence the concern about spending too much on college. I do know many are in worse shape. We’re poster parents for the working class squeeze. Our salaries are too high to qualify for much financial aid and too low to afford a house.</p>
<p>Not all privates require the CSS Profile and not all that do require NCP information. However, my guess is that the “first year - dependent only” means that the student is not independent, but is a dependent on a parent’s taxes. That doesn’t necessarily address the NCP form one way or the other, but you could call the FA office tomorrow for verfication on that.</p>
<p>Good luck. I bet your daughter will have some excellent options.</p>
<p>If there is no CSS code, check the requirements to see if the school lists the Profile as a requirement at all. If not…you can’t submit it to that school.</p>
<p>“First year-dependent only” probably means that this needs to be done for first year students who are dependents for financial aid purposes…not that the father declares the kid as a dependent for taxes. Dependency for financial aid and dependency for taxes are unrelated. Some kids (even freshmen) are NOT dependents for financial aid purposes.</p>
<p>Bottom line, if you are unsure, call EACH college and ask ASAP.</p>
<p>On the PROFILE web-site, there is a table that lists schools and if they require NCP or not.
Schools that are FAFSA only do not (in general) require NCP info.</p>