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<p>It doesn’t MATTER at all if your custodial parent is remarried OR NOT unless their spouse has ADOPTED YOU. If a custodial parent is remarried their info is required on all forms.</p>
<p>NOW…whether the school requires a non-custodial parent form from you non-custodial parent is something you will have to ask the school. BUT it has NOTHING TO DO with the fact that your custodial parent is MARRIED now…nothing.</p>
<p>Two separate issues.</p>
<p>Okay. Thank you for your help.</p>
<p>Thumper, so if a kid is legally adopted by their step-parent then a non-custodial bio-parent would not need to submit their info? (I know this isn’t the OP’s situation, I’m just asking generally.)</p>
<p>Rent…it is my understanding that a step parent cannot legally ADOPT a step child unless the bio parent had relinquished parental rights. In other words, the kid can’t have TWO legal moms or two legal dads.</p>
<p>That being the case, if the bio parent’s parental rights have been legally terminated, and the student has been ADOPTED legally by a step parent, I believe that only those folks would be filing finaid paperwork.</p>
<p>BUT perhaps one of the finaid officers who posts here can clarify this.</p>
<p>That makes sense, though. Thanks, Thumper. I haven’t run across this yet (a legally adopted kid), but every year I get kids dealing with complex family situations so it’s helpful to get some idea of how things work under different circumstances.</p>
<p>I know someone who legally adopted the daughter of his now soon to be ex-wife. The girl’s biological dad was not in the picture at all (not sure if he had to sign something giving up his rights). This guy now has to pay child support for his ‘non biological’ daughter and I’m sure when/if she goes to college (she’s only 13), he will be tapped for Profile info.</p>
<p>Adoption is adoption. Think of it this way…if a family adopts a child from China, does the bio dad (or mom) have to fill out the Profile. NO…because LEGALLY, that child is the child of the adoptive parents.</p>
<p>The same would be true in a step parent situation. If the step parent legally adopts the step child, that step parent becomes the PARENT.</p>
<p>fyi…i have a similar situation and asked all my D’s colleges who want CSS Profile the same question. Each seemed to be “ok” with it, because it happens. They just don’t want people CHEATING (“Uh, yeah…we’re not married so…I don’t know where he is…don’t count his income…OK?”). </p>
<p>So they need proof that you have the situation as you state it. Yale was like “eh, yeah…send me a letter” (I figure maybe they probably already looked at the app and know they’re not going to admit her so they don’t really care!). Harvard had one of the toughest stances. Basically…you must do all you can to locate the person. If you cannot, you can ask for a “waiver” (which is what you’re doing with each school). The SCHOOL offers/allows/denies the waiver request…NOT College Board. You must contact each school directly.</p>
<p>It took Harvard the longest to reply to my query (odd, since all the others should be in the middle of “early acceptances” right now). But you basically need two people (not family, not an attorney…something like a counselor or clergyman). We’re having a TON of trouble getting these because my D has never seen a “counselor”. And, if they mean “school counselor”…ours has offered to write one but…how do they REALlY know? Of course there is no one on record at school, and no one but me has ever called her in sick, there is no emergency contact info (we have no clue where he is, he’s never met her in all their life), no one but me comes to her events, etc. But it’s a HUGE school…so how could they really KNOW that? And, we have no clergy. Same if we were to try a doctor. Just because we have no one on her records doesn’t mean there isn’t someone. I’m stymied. I’m gonna get a co-worker to write one. They’ve known both of us forever and KNOW there is no one else…BUT…how does THEIR letter hold up to scrutiny, they’re not “professionals”. </p>
<p>Anyway, the schools do have a right to say “well, if you can’t provide it then we won’t offer aid”. It’s one of the MANY things that sucks about being left to raise your children alone. </p>
<p>Write or call. Ask about a waiver. Good luck to you.</p>