<p>OK, here is my situation:
-live in a divorced household and live with my mother
-I have not seen my father since 2006, and before that it was 2002(i believe)
-My father is in the military and have heard through the grape vine that he will be deployed in Afghanistan during the period in which the Non-Custodial Parent Profile is required to be submitted. But he is in a combat zone where he CANNOT complete the forms - he simply cannot.
-Also, there is abuse with the relationship with my father's household and myself (the stepmother is the source of it)
-We do receive child support, but its minimal and it is on an automatic system, so he is nt ending it directly, but will at times reduce what is sent. </p>
<p>Basically, my father and I have no contact and I am wondering if whether or not if my mother and I would be able to apply for an NCP waiver considering the situation (the lack of contact, abuse, and his absence from this continent). Any input or advice on how to handle this would be very helpful.
-S</p>
<p>I honestly don’t see anything that would guarantee you a NCP waiver…but you can ask. You are receiving child support, you know where your father is. He can complete the NCP Profile NOW (it doesn’t sound like he’s gone yet). </p>
<p>Perhaps I’m missing something but I don’t personally see your basis for getting this waiver. Maybe someone else sees it differently.</p>
<p>I do not see my father what so ever, and yes he is gone, or leaving within the next few days, but I would not be totally sure because we have no contact. So what would situation would call for a waiver?</p>
<p>Some colleges seem to be more generous with NCP waivers than others. As Thumper says, you can only check with the college(s) --you have to ask each one separately if you’ve applied to more than one-- and ask what is their procedure for requesting a waiver.</p>
<p>More common reasons for a waiver have to do with a completely absent parent, whereabouts unknown, no history of child support, in jail, etc. Which is not to say it isn’t worth requesting a waiver. You should definitely do that. Sometimes it works out, even for situations that are less clear-cut.</p>
<p>The other thing to consider…remember college is for FOUR years. You might get a NCP waiver THIS year but not in subsequent years. Will that make a difference in your college financing picture?</p>
<p>OK, well what about colleges such as:
-Brown University
-Harvard Univeristy
-Stanford University
-Boston University
-University of Pennsylvania
-Columbia University<br>
-Cornell University?
Does anyone know how lenient these schools are for giving the NCP waiver???</p>
<p>Honestly I think if I could get the waiver for this first year I could possibly TRY to get my father to pay, but we do not each other, at all, so it would be nice to get the waiver for all four years. BTW, do you need to apply each year for the NCP waiver?</p>
<p>A student I know well with a NCP waiver only had to get it the first year. It isn’t something that needs to be renewed. I have not heard of schools requiring that it be renewed from one year to the next… but that’s not to say it doesn’t happen. I just haven’t seen that or heard of it. You should apply for it, and then, should you be granted the waiver, ask them about subsequent years so you’ll have the full picture before committing to attend somewhere. </p>
<p>Keep it simple at first though, and just apply for the waiver now and first see if you can get it. After that, then ask about the process (if there even is one) for the following years.</p>
<p>I don’t know the chances at those schools, and honestly it doesn’t matter. You have to ask. If someone says the chances are good, that doesn’t help you. You still have to ask. If someone says your chances are lousy, would you not even ask because of a message board post? I hope not.</p>
<p>ok, well no, I was going to ask each school, but I wanted t get feedback from those who may have had experience with this process. Thank you very much 'rentof2, your advice is very helpful :)</p>
<p>I haven’t had direct experience with this process, but a very close friend of mine has. Her son got a NCP waiver first for Northwestern. </p>
<p>He knows his father, and would see him very infrequently --not at all really until he was 12, and then once a year or so after that until he was 18. His father never paid child support, but his mother never went to court to ask for it. His father did pay for certain things from time to time such as a new laptop, the cost of braces, and a few generous gifts. The parents were never married and the father left the relationship before the son was born. </p>
<p>His father did, at first, agree to fill out the NCP form and even submitted it. When he saw what the college expected in parental support he just bailed on the whole deal. Would not answer emails, calls, or anything from the kid and his mother. Finally he sent the kid a “so long, it’s been nice knowing you” email – very short and rude.</p>
<p>The mother went to Northwestern to request that the father’s financial info be disregarded. (She had a very low income, the father was a professional with a respectable income.) At first Northwestern said no. The mother went up the ladder, above the staff person that rejected her appeal, and talked directly the head of financial aid. She presented documentation of the father’s general absence from the kid’s life and his snarky kiss-off email, and everything she could muster to make her case. The head of financial aid then granted her the waiver, and her son was re-issued a FA award based only on the mother’s income.</p>
<p>After a year the kid wanted to transfer – he didn’t like Northwestern as it turned out. He was accepted to Middlebury, and they granted the NCP waiver without any issues. I believe they probably just went with Northwestern’s discretion on that.</p>
<p>So there’s one story for you, but they are all unique. You need to make your own case in your own way. Enlist your mother’s support in this. It will probably end up with disappointment from some schools, but maybe understanding at some other. You just won’t know until you try.</p>
<p>thank you for that anecdote, i just do not want a man who has not raised to be pivotal in influencing where I attend college. Well, I found a way to call him (he loved the time difference :P). he seemed like he is willing to at least fill it out the form, but I fear that he will be like your friend’s dad and bail once i get the bill hahaha, well I hope all goes well, and all I can hope for is scholarships and if he does bail that the schools I get into will reconsider their FA offerings. But really thank you 'rentof2, you have kinda calmed me down. I feel like I have worked so hard and this guy is trying to be a rather large bump in the road.</p>
<p>You still need to have affordable choices that do not require your dad at all. I can’t see why a waiver would be issued in this case…at least not for all 4 years. </p>
<p>You may not want your dad’s situation to have an influence on your college choices and your aid, but it very likely will. </p>
<p>And, since you have a bad relationship with your stepmom, that doesn’t bode well for your dad paying anything for your college costs.</p>
<p>Thumper is right…you can’t just worry about the first year.</p>
<p>You need to ask YOURSELF at each school…with YOUR circumstances. The awarding of NCP waivers for the Profile are done on a case by case basis at each school. The circumstances of each case are reviewed and a determination made. There is no way for anyone here to predict what a school will do.</p>
<p>I will say…your comment that your dad “might” be willing to pay in future years does NOT support a NCP waiver.</p>
<p>Your dad’s “willingness” to pay the bill is not a consideration for getting a NCP waiver OR when the school is considering your financial aid award.</p>
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<p>I know you aren’t asking for THIS advice…but I sure hope you have a “safety” school on your list for both admissions and finances. BU seems to be the least competitive for admissions but the costs are right up there (and BU does NOT guarantee to meet full need for accepted students). </p>
<p>The other schools you have listed (BU being the exception) have very generous need based aid. I’m going to guess that they are do not hand out NCP waivers liberally.</p>
<p>Thank you all for all of your input. I actually got a hold of my biological father, and now he is agreeing to fill out the forms. I am so relieved! phew! I just not need to worry about getign everything filed in time 
And, from the way he was talking he may be willing to makes contribution to my college costs. I really have no problem going three way with my parents paying for college :)</p>