The title isn’t super descriptive because I really didn’t know what to title it.
Anyways,
I live with my mom who makes like 30k gross a year. I’m estimating that my EFC for USC will be very low because of this. However, I didn’t realize for the CSS that I need both parents to fill it out (parents are divorced).
My dad makes a lot more than my mom. I’m not entirely sure how much he makes a year (he always lies about having no money, yet proceeds to go on tropical and fancy vacations with his girlfriend(s) and their kids, buy new luxury cars, etc.). When I told him he’d need to fill out the CSS profile using his tax return, he freaked out and told me that he’s not showing me or my mom his tax return, even though I’m not going to be watching him filling out the application. But that’s [not really] irrelevant, ANYWAYS.
Will my EFC be a higher number because my dad makes substantially more than my mom? Like I’m assuming it’s going to be higher, but by how much approximately (I know it’s hard to say without knowing my dad’s exact numbers, but from all the stuff he does and trips he goes on, I’m assuming it’s high)? My dad is most likely not going to help me with any sort of college expense, and my mom won’t be able to cover a larger EFC if it includes his income as well. I don’t want my inability to attend USC (if I get accepted, though, of course) to be be because of a financial barrier.
We would have NO way to tell you how much higher your contribution to USC will be without knowing your non-custodial parent income…and the formula USC uses to determine institutional need based aid for divorced families.
However, if they requires the non-custodial parent Profile, then your dad income and assets will be considered…as well as his spouses…if he is remarried.
In addition, if the school requires the non-custodial parent form, it’s very possible they won’t process your request for institutional need based aid until that is received.
Your dad needs to know…YOU and your mom will have NO access to the non-custodial parent Profile. That is something your dad will do. Just make sure his contact info is on YOUR Profile so he can receive the instructions on completing the non-custodial parent form.
Basically, you need to know his income and assets to put in the the USC net price calculator in order to get a reasonable estimate. A USC net price calculator run using only your mother’s income and assets will be unrealistically optimistic.
If he will not cooperate on financial aid matters (filling in the CSS Noncustodial Profile), then USC will not give you any financial aid. If he will fill in the CSS Noncustodial Profile, but will not tell you any numbers, you will be applying blind with no net price calculator result to know what you may be expected to pay. And if he has significant income and/or assets but will not pay, you will not get enough financial aid to afford to attend.
You can apply for a waiver, but that is likely to be futile in this situation.
Unfortunately, it probably will be a financial barrier that will prevent you from attending USC even if you do get admitted.
If the USC net price calculator specifically asks if the parents are divorced…then maybe it will give a decent estimate.
If the NPC does NOT ask if the parents are married…or divorced…it will not give a good estimate of net costs for this student. Sim9ly adding the dad’s income will make it closer…but the NPC will assume a married couple…and really…that is not the case.
Also, to the OP…did your mom include any spousal and/or child support she received in 2016 on HER Profile…and FAFSA?
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Your dad needs to know…YOU and your mom will have NO access to the non-custodial parent Profile. That is something your dad will do. Just make sure his contact info is on YOUR Profile so he can receive the instructions on completing the non-custodial parent form.
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While this is true, he’s likely smart enough to know that any family contribution figured will be based on his income, since mom’s is too low. Therefore, mom and child would be able to rather easily guesstimate what his true income/assets are. If USC comes back with a family contribution of $65k per year, then dad is making a very good income and/or has assets. Sounds like dad has put serious effort into telling exW and child that he has no money.
At this point…will your dad complete the Non-custodial Parent Profile?
Also, hoping you have a broad list of colleges on your application list including places that are both affordable and where you will most likely get accepted.
Yes he will, we just need to set up his CSS profile first.
And yeah I know about the schools. I’ve applied to the U of Minnesota Twin Cities and got admitted, and am waiting on my admissions decision from UW-Madison but I’m assuming I’ll get accepted.
The email confirmation I got after submitting MY CSS profile never gave me a password for the NCP. So I called the CollegeBoard, and the guy told me that the NPC sets up an account (like a student) with my student information, yet uses their own email and creates their own username and password.
I know; I’m just going based off the CollegeBoard’s instructions.
ANYWAYS,
My dad looked over the NCP profile and was in the process of filling it out, however, he exited out after thinking the questions were “too personal” and that his “information would get leaked online.” Is there any way I can persuade him to fill out the form? I can’t use a waiver for obvious reasons. My mom filled out her CSS, so I don’t understand why my dad thinks the CSS is some jengky virus-hack website. Any advice would be great because I honestly don’t know what to do right now
It is not that it is a jengky virus-hack web site, it is that he fears that you and your mother can reverse-engineer his income and assets from the financial aid result.
If he refuses to do the CSS Noncustodial Profile, write off USC if you cannot pay list price.
Even if he does do it, there is the possibility that his income and assets are high enough that USC will calculate its own EFC for you that is too expensive, so you need to treat it as more of a reach school than merely admission would indicate.