<p>Hello, I am divorced and my ex does not financially support our daughter, so I will have to figure out how to pay for college for her. (He has already told her this.) I understand that I will need to fill out the FAFSA and CSS profile for myself, but does she have to list him at all in the Parents' Profile section? Even if he is not going to contribute in any way? Any insight would be much, much appreciated. Thanks in advance.</p>
<p>For fafsa, only your financial info is required. No child or spousal support at all? If there is any, what you receive has to be included. For many CSS profile schools or schools with their own finaid forms his info isn’t included on the main form but he will have to fill out the CSS NCP profile or a school’s own NCP form. Otherwise all parents would just say they aren’t contributing. A few schools don’t require NCP financial info.</p>
<p>Thanks! I understand what you are saying and I wish he were a different kind of person. I am not looking forward to this aspect of the whole process. </p>
<p>I have a similar situation however my D has had no contact with her father in over 4 years…if that’s the case, you can ask for a Non-Custodial Profile Waiver from the schools she’s applying to but you’ll be required to send in backup documentation, i.e. letter from clergy, third party, therapist stating the relationship status or a copy of a restraining order, etc…If she is in contact with him and they have a decent relationship then he’s required to contribute and you can take him to court for an upward modification to your child support order. He really can’t just opt out of paying…Best of luck to you!</p>
<p>Thanks, cakes68. As my mother tells me whenever I start complaining, “If he wasn’t the person who he is, you wouldn’t be divorced.” Amen! </p>
<p>No support from the ex? Was there NO child support award? If there was an award, and he ignored it, go after THAT and use that money to help pay for college.</p>
<p>Sadly, most of the schools that give the best aid, require NCP info. They won’t process the aid pkg without it.</p>
<p>there are waivers, but that is when there has been no-contact. Simply saying, “I won’t pay” is not acceptable…otherwise all parents would just say, “i won’t pay.” lol</p>
<p>I hope your D is also applying to school where aid is based on YOUR income alone…and I hope she is applying to some schools where her stats would get a HUGE merit award, so you can afford the remaining costs. </p>
<p>@jasmine363 can you tell us more? </p>
<p>What are your D’s stats? </p>
<p>What is her major and career goal? </p>
<p>How much can you pay?</p>
<p>What schools are on her list? </p>
<p>Hello again. My situation is a little complicated because I am a college prof and make more money than my ex. My D is extremely bright and is no. 2 in her high school class, has great SAT/ACT scores, activities, etc. She wants to study International Relations and pursue Peace and Justice/Conflict Resolution. She can go to my college on a tuition waiver but wants to venture to other parts. She is applying to various schools and we will have to wait and see what financial aid we can get. We are very blessed and she is in a good situation, but ironically I have NO idea of how college admissions and financial aid works. But I am now learning what students in my classes go through to get there.</p>
<p>What is her father’s income?
Was her surprised by a Child Support or Custody lawsuit? (Was he surprised by the divorce and everything since?) Does he have unpaid legal bills?
Is he supporting a new family?</p>
<p>His income is simply not considered by FAFSA-only schools.
If he doesn’t have any money to support her, then that’s GREAT for CSS NCP Profile. Ask the daughter and her GC to talk to him about the importance of filing the paperwork for her benefit.</p>
<p>The best way to get noncustodial parents to pay whatever they can afford for college is to keep them fully involved and emotionally invested in raising their own children. That means making sure there’s plenty of direct contact (phone, skype, whatever) when the child is with you, giving the other parent plenty of extra time above and beyond any provided by the Custody Order, and staying the f*ck out of court. But you really need to start early! You cannot wait until she’s a senior and then try to convince him you’ve considered him an equal parent all along, he won’t fall for it, he’ll be far too wary of tricks by that point.</p>
<p>This will really pay off for your (plural) child for the rest of her life.</p>
<p>Spending her childhood in litigation would also have an effect on her for the rest of her life, but not a good one.</p>
<p>FCCDAD: I do not know her father’s income. But sadly, it is not steady or regular. There was no child custody lawsuit. Yes, he was surprised when I asked for a divorce after 20+ years of marriage. He has since remarried. (I have not since my children and my job are my top priority.) My children (D+younger S) spend a lot of time with him (we live in the same town) and have a very loving (but not financially supportive) relationship with their father. The same cannot be said about him and me, and that is the problem. </p>
<p>My original question was whether I needed to get him involved as the NCP, but I guess I do. Argh! Anyways…I sure am learning the jargon very quickly!</p>
<p>I don’t think Child Support has to do with a “child custody lawsuit”. I thought that when there are minor children and a divorce, that is practically automatic for the custodial parent’s atty to ask for Child Support unless his client (you) tells the attorney that you don’t want any child support.</p>
<p>Anyway…since your children has a “lovingly relationship” with their dad, your kids won’t be granted a NCP waiver. Those are for kids who “don’t know where their dads are, have no contact, etc”. Simply not wanting to pay is not a reason.</p>
<p>You need to consider this situation NOW. The schools that require NCP info will REQUIRE that your Ex fill out his FA forms. If he refuses too fill them out, then your child’s FA pkg will not be processed. </p>
<p>Your Ex will also have to include his new wife’s income on the NCP form.</p>
<p>What is Plan B? What are your D’s stats? Where is she applying? What is her major and career goal?</p>
<p>What is the plan if you’re handed a $50k+ bill for each year? </p>
<p>What are your D’s financial safeties (these are schools that you know FOR SURE will be affordable because of ASSURED merit or your money)?</p>
<p>Since you don’t have a good relationship with your Ex and he won’t pay (and won’t likely fill out the forms), then you need a good strategy otherwise your D will be quite upset next spring with no affordable schools. You have a younger child so you won’t likely be able to just take out $100k+ in loans, right?</p>
<p>I wouldn’t assume he won’t fill out the NCP forms. But that doesn’t mean he’s going to pay - two different things.</p>
<p>OP, I’d find out now if he’s going to balk at filling out the form. Let him know that you will not see any of his data. Tell him that the schools require it even if he says he’s not paying anything toward their education.</p>
<p>I understand your situation. I’m in the same boat. (My ex did fill out the NCP form.) Good luck!</p>
<p>Sounds like you should read the FAQ to get the basic idea.
<a href=“Financial aid FAQs - Financial Aid and Scholarships - College Confidential Forums”>Financial aid FAQs - Financial Aid and Scholarships - College Confidential Forums;
<p>His income isn’t steady or regular. That’s good for his daughter. That means the schools won’t be able to easily say he should be paying X amount of their bills. She should ask him nicely to fill it out because it’s required for her to apply for aid, and note that it cannot obligate him to pay anything, and all him information can be kept secret.</p>
<p>Actually, if he’s supporting a new family that’s even better for her. </p>
<p>Kudos to you for taking the high road and staying out of court. Sounds like the kids aren’t really exposed to the bad blood between their parents. It really is better for them to be able to love both parents regardless of finances.</p>
<p>^^
His income may not be steady or regular, but his wife’s may be and that info will also be included.</p>
<p>I think it is D’s place to tell her dad how important it is that he fill it out, not mom’s. When mom does the profile, dad will get a login and web address and password which he will change immediately. He fills in the info, mom never sees it.</p>
<p>I don’t think the Financial aid process as viewed by PROFIle takes into consideration that income is not stead, not regular. It will ask for the income for 2014, and if that 's a banner year, then the formula will use those numbers. Most PROFILE schools also want the NCP’s spouse’s income as well, and assets for both ex and spouse, and any step and half siblings who are dependents. </p>
<p>Some schools will not include the step parent’s income (Duke?), some do not require a NCP supplement (Vanderbilt, Denison and now UChicago). </p>
<p>There is a spot on the Profile to explain things. If your earnings are truly one time…and you can prove that they will not repeat…you can put that down. Also, as I recall, there was info on the Profile someplace about the previous year, and the future year (so right now that would be 2013, 2014, 2015)…not the whole form, but some question about that.</p>
<p>And some schools will request two years of tax returns as part of the application process…2013 and 2014. Our two kids had to provide these.</p>