MIT financial aid: noncustodial problems

Colleges and Universities A-Z Massachusetts Institute of Technology
1

<p>Hello!</p>

<p>Now that (EA) results have come, I've started to look at everything to do for financial aid. One thing that's been pretty worrisome is the whole deal with the Noncustodial Parent portion of the CSS Profile - specifically, getting my dad to fill it out.</p>

<p>Basic situation: My parents have been divorced since 2003. I live with my mom and grandma. My mom's annual income is about $39k. We have about $29k in cash/savings/whatever.
My dad is a professor in China. We have had very little contact with him since 2003; I exchange emails with him about 3 times per year, always initiated on my end. He's never visited. My parents didn't go through American courts for their divorce, so the alimony and everything was unofficial. My dad stopped giving the promised $1200/year after 2009, and my mom didn't want to go through the conflicts to ask him about it again. We don't know if he's remarried or anything.</p>

<p>When I initially emailed my dad telling him he'd have to fill out some forms for my college apps, he seemed willing. But when my mom told him the details, how it had to do with financial aid, he refused. He said something like "no one could afford to live in China and pay for a child to go to college in America," and that I needed to work to get stuff for myself or something like that. I suspect he's also just too lazy to fill out forms (many times in the past he's given unreasonable objections to doing things for my sake that would've been easy for him).</p>

<p>I'm going to try to talk to him again and ask him to fill out the forms, but in the meantime I'm looking at filling out a noncustodial waiver just in case he refuses. The problem is that since it is possible to contact him, I don't know if there's enough reason for a waiver to work.</p>

<p>Has anyone had similar experiences? What's the best course of action at this point? How much info does the noncustodial form ask for, and is it enough to reasonably make him unwilling to fill it out? Is there any way to force/obligate a noncustodial parent not living in the U.S. to fill forms (and/or pay)?</p>

<p>More info: We've already contacted the finaid office and received the waiver form. It's probably a good idea to contact the office again with more detailed information about the problem, right?</p>

2

<p>I can’t address your issues specifically, but I am wondering if you could perhaps talk to him on the phone, asking the questions that he would need to answer, filling it out for him, then send it to him to sign, if he would.</p>

<p>Perhaps explain that non-custodial means that he would not be expected to pay and that you will do whatever it is you have to do to attend college without any financial help from him. But, that the schools you are applying to require the information.</p>

3

<p>Go to China and track your dad via Instagram. Force him to fill out the form and, if he resists, take out your belt and go for it.
It’s a win-win for you - you get your thing filled out, and you get to visit China.</p>

4

<p>In a situation like this, if he truly refuses to fill out the forms, I would recommend contacting the financial aid office at MIT. Call them, explain the situation, and ask for their advice. I promise, it won’t alter your admission decision in any way, and there’s no one better to ask advice than the office itself. Just a thought.</p>