EFC for USC (divorced parents)?

My dad suggested NYU for whatever reason. I just mentioned it to add to my story but I guess it made it a lil more confusing; my bad.

I didn’t realize UC’s system gave no OOS money until a few months ago, but I still wanted to give it a shot to apply.

If your father suggested NYU, is he willing to do CSS Noncustodial Profile and pay if you attend NYU?

I’m going to stick up for your father a little. You’ve had a year to figure out this FA stuff, but he’s had a week or two. He may remember how things were in the good old days when students just became independent and paid for their own school, or used the custodial parent’s income and assets. I’m sure he’s also thinking you have two fantastic options in UM or UW for instate tuition levels.

I was pretty involved in my kids’ applications and FA, and I was still saying ‘That can’t be right’ every time a school asked yet another question about ME - how much did I make, how much did I have saved for retirement, how much did I have tucked under the mattress. Then where did I go to college! It really is a lot of private information. I got over it and I think your dad will too.

But I think you should involve him in the decisions more. Go out to dinner, show him your stats and the types of schools you can get into, show him why you want to go to USC (program? professor? reputation?) or why it is better for YOU than UM (and just because it is sunnier is the LAST reason, not the first, on the list).

One of my kids recently told me she didn’t want to have children because children just use up all your money. She’s correct, they do, be parents are willing to share if they get a little respect and are part of the process.

Dad is still going to have to help pay, and if OP is already accepted to Carlson, stop encouraging fantasies!!

Where did the OP say his dad has only had this information for a few weeks? I reread and didn’t see anything.

Adding…MOST people don’t know the questions on the Profile until they open their college board account and start completing the Profile. It’s not like folks are researching the questions on the Profile.

The bigger issue here is that the OP’s non-custodial Parent is not inclined to complete the form OR help pay for college.

In my opinion, the OP needs to look carefully at schools like publics in CA (where the student is OOS], and expensive schools like NYU that don’t meet full need for all.

And even USC…IF the non-custodial parent won’t do the forms or contribute.

This student talks about having safeties. I’m guessing he means UMinn and UWisc, but does he really know if all costs are covered? Has he run the NPCs to get an idea of what aid he’d get at each?

@SurferBoii does your mom receive child support for you and any younger siblings?

Have you asked your dad how much he’ll contribute each year towards college? If not, do so

This student talks about having safeties. I’m guessing he means UMinn and UWisc, but does he really know if all costs are covered? Has he run the NPCs to get an idea of what aid he’d get at each?

@SurferBoii does your mom receive child support for you and any younger siblings?

Have you asked your dad how much he’ll contribute each year towards college? If not, do so

He said the father pays $2000/mo in child support

Who says the father is ‘going to have to’ pay? We don’t know what the child support arrangement is.

My mom gets $1500/month for child support. I talked to my dad a little more today and he said:

  1. He won’t fill out the form because he thinks it’s a waste of his time after talking to the USC financial office lady
  2. He said he’d be willing to pay $5-10k for my college, but hopefully I’ll be able to talk to him about more (i.e. money for grades)
  3. He’d rather me go to UCLA instead of USC because his “friend said it was cheaper”, even though UC’s don’t give any need-based financial aid for OOS

@ the one guy that said to negotiate with him:
I did mention to him how although I can go to UM-Twin Cities and UW-Madison, I feel that if I get accepted into a reach school (USC, UCLA, UC Berkeley), I’d much rather go there because it’ll be more prestigious and academically challenging than the U or Madison. Plus USC, UCLA, and UC Berkeley’s business schools are much better than Carlson or Madison’s. While my test scores are kinda trash, I think my GPA with the classes I take are decent.

Check your private message

You need to let go of your prestige hunting…and realize that the schools in your own backyard, that are affordable…are fine universities…with good business programs.

Unless your parents are willing to pay full costs at UCLA, Cal or any other UC…those will be unaffordable options.

If your dad refuses to do the non-custodial parent form and also won’t pay towards USC, that is an an unaffordable Option.

NYU at $72,000 a year is likely an unaffordable option.

In addition, even tippy top IN STATE students are iffy in terms of cceotance at Cal and UCLA.

Go ahead and apply…but be prorated to walk away if the money isn’t forthcoming. And don’t plan to try to guilt your parents into taking out huge loans for you to attend a reach School that is unaffordable because you think it has more prestige.

@thumper1 Sounds fair. I’m gonna research finances for the Cali schools and see if I can come up with a plan. If it’s too much, I’ll go to the U probably.

It won’t matter, as you don’t have the stats for your reach schools period, the shame is the time wasting and money wasting of the applications. Your ACT for Carlson is only JUST in the middle 50%. You would be at the lower end of admits. Your are incredibly fortunate to have a great school in your state that you dad will almost pay all tuition for.

Cost of USC is about $64k. Cost of UCLA is about $60k for OOS. Your father is correct, is it cheaper to go to UCLA, but I doubt your father realizes how close they are in cost.