<p>How do I determine the EFC or it's equivalent for the NCP? I want to be able to back-up our request for financial contribution by the NCP. He completed the NCP profile for the CSS profile, but of course I am not privy to that information. The NCP's annual salary is public information, albeit a few years old, and according to the land court records, there is no mortgage on his home.Our divorce decree states that we will 'jointly contribute to the college expenses for the minor child to the extent each is able based upon their ability to do so at the time the child enters college'. </p>
<p>The relationship with the NCP is volatile and unpredictable. I want to have as much information ready and facts to back it up before I contact him.</p>
<p>Well you must understand, the college will only give you one EFC, not two!
You and the NCP will have to come to an agreement on what amounts each of you should pay! If he is a big bread winner then maybe he is responsible for most of the EFC for your child. Is it possible to come to an agreement without causing a lot of stress, especially for your child?</p>
<p>We already have ‘my’ EFC number, and I know how much I am expected to contribute. How do I determine how much the NCP is responsible for? Is it the remaining balance on the Financial Aid award? </p>
<p>I want to have as much backup for my position as possible. CSS will not release his EFC. </p>
<p>I am hoping if I have the backup and proper documentation that there will not be a blowout, but, there is no way of knowing.</p>
<p>Did your EFC come from your FAFSA filing? The CSS Profile will not result in an EFC, but rather it’s used by some colleges to determine how much institutional aid to offer. There’s no standard split between custodial and non-custodial parents, mainly because most colleges don’t want to be in the business of determining how much each biological parent must contribute. Many colleges say this specifically on their website. </p>
<p>I have read of one or two colleges that will give the student the custodial/non-custodial expectations based on Profile, but they’re the exception rather than the rule. I’ll see if I can find the post that gave that information.</p>
<p>In the meantime, if you want an estimation of an EFC for anyone, just plug an estimate of AGI and assets into a FAFSA calculator. You can see how close the calculator comes to your official EFC, then plug what you know of your ex’s financial information into the same calculator.</p>
<p>Would he sit down with you in front of a computer & you BOTH do the EFC calculations on the Collegeboard website, one at time, print them out, compare the EFCs and then look at your child’s tuition bill? Using the IM formula of course as your child’s school is using the IM. </p>
<p>If the college “gaps” you (unmet need) then maybe you and the NCP could split the gap. </p>
<p>OR you just tell him “X is my EFC, you have to pick up the rest of the tuition bill.”
That might not have the desired outcome you desire!</p>
<p>VBALLMOM; Thank you for your helpful post. I would like to see that post if you find it. I will enter the information into the FAFSA program and see what it says.</p>
<p>SLUMOM Thank you for taking the time to respond. If I could count on my ex to cooperate and be an upstanding person, well, I wouldn’t be divorced. He is volatile and unpredictable. That is the biggest obstacle right now, which is why I want to have all my i’s dotted and my t’s crossed. </p>
<p>**
I am fairly certain that his ‘efc’ will be greater than the amount due on the financial aid letter. If at all possible, I would prefer that my daughter not have to take out the loans that are part of the aid package.</p>
<p>Here’s the statement by the College Board regarding their suggested methodology. Be sure to read the last point, which basically means a college can determine the split any way it wants.</p>
<p>The college will not help you. You may have to engage an attorney. Please do not for the sake of “getting along” compromise and leave you or your child with out college money or with excessive loans.</p>
<p>No one wants stress, but this is too important to rollover.</p>
<p>I think this could be best determined by the court. Your divorce decree sounds pretty clear and I would assume the actual EFC has little to do with what each of you will pay. I would suggest you look at what the bottom line cost is (as often the cost is higher than the EFC) and then suggest a split of the cost according to income. If one makes $40k and one makes $60k it would be a 40% and 60% split. I have seen this happen in many divorce situations when the decree states something to the effect of “ability to pay”. </p>
<p>The court can require he provide his tax returns to determine an equitable distribution. Plus if it is done in court you are not dealing with him directly. In my state it is very different - each parent parents 1/2 of the costs up to the instate flagship. Of course this leaves the custodial parent responsible for any costs beyond that (me). Good luck - you can represent yourself in court and probably get this cleared up without too much fuss.</p>
<p>I wouldnt be so quick to concede 40/60 with those facts, if order says ability to pay. I would say run through EFC calulator as unbiased ability to pay. Generally, the more one earns, the greater the % expected to contribute is.</p>
<p>I don’t mean to be harsh, but why would you have your child choose a school that requires your “volatile and unpredictable” ex’s cooperation to pay? You’ll have to go thru this EVERY year. If he doesn’t like what you tell him he’ll have to pay, then it’s VERY likely that he won’t fill out the NCP info next year…and then your child will likely get no aid. </p>
<p>I also don’t understand what you mean when you say that you have your EFC. Do you mean your FAFSA EFC?</p>
<p>That said…I think it’s silly when schools that require NCP info do not give a family contribution for each family. These schools hide behind the stance that the financial info for each family is private. They wouldn’t be revealing private info by giving 2 “family contributions”…and more than when they give one big one, and one family knows that it isn’t high income.</p>
<p>Mom2, I think it is very likely that NCP will not pay without court, or threat of court. Thats life. I would recommend that OP try to see if she can have at least one semester in reserve, and be reading, willing and able to go to court. </p>
<p>Why should OP do this? So her child can get an education.</p>
<p>Mom2, I think it is very likely that NCP will not pay without court, or threat of court. Thats life.</p>
<p>I agree. But, I wonder if the court would uphold that he has to pay a “fair share” of a pricey private…often the benchmark is the cost of a state school. Can the courts force him to fill out CSS NCP info for future years? </p>
<p>*Our divorce decree states that we will ‘jointly contribute to the college expenses for the minor child to the extent each is able based upon their ability to do so at the time the child enters college’. *</p>
<p>that is rather vague…who decides how much each is “able” to contribute? </p>
<p>Again, I wonder why anyone would have their child choose a school that requires NCP info and cooperation when the NCP is known to be volatile (that sounds SCARY) and unpredictable. It just sounds like a recipe for a lot of ugliness over the next 4 years…threats, etc. The poor mom could find herself in court over and over again…each year the NCP claiming that he isn’t “able” to pay as much as his income would suggest. I think it just puts the NCP in a position of power that I wouldn’t want to deal with. </p>
<p>It would have been better if a more obvious amount had been set…like half of state univ COA…or some number that was more firmly established. </p>
<p>My friend and her volatile/unpredictable ex had in their divorce papers that each would pay half of the COA of UWisconsin (their instate flagship). That is an easily determined amount.</p>
<p>IMHO, too often women do not negotiate as well in finanicial matters. Just becuz other COs limit college expenses to a state school doesnt mean that ALL orders should so limit. </p>
<p>Whether a judge would use a state school as a benchmark depends on a lot of things – OP can have a quick consult with a local lawyer to understand the parameters. I suspect this “benchmark” is for moderate income people</p>
<p>Maybe it is unfortunate that OPs CO was not as specific, but it is what it is, and she must do her best with it. </p>
<p>Yes, OP may have to threaten court every year, so she should prepare herself for that. Its more bearable than tons of student debt. Why shouldnt here kid get to choose from schools that her NCPs income would indicate that he could pay?</p>
<p>I think that OP would be giving her X more power by not trying to get him to live up to letter of CO, and that she may regret her not standing her ground in later years.</p>
<p>“I don’t mean to be harsh, but why would you have your child choose a school that requires your “volatile and unpredictable” ex’s cooperation to pay? You’ll have to go thru this EVERY year. If he doesn’t like what you tell him he’ll have to pay, then it’s VERY likely that he won’t fill out the NCP info next year…and then your child will likely get no aid.”</p>
<p>Why would we settle for a lesser school just so my ex can escape responsibility once again? She is a brilliant child with an amazing future. She has suffered enough, her education will not be shortchanged. </p>
<p>“I also don’t understand what you mean when you say that you have your EFC. Do you mean your FAFSA EFC?”</p>
<p>I filed the FAFSA on my own, and was told what I could be expected to contribute. Because he was only required by the school to complete the NCP through CSS, I do not have his EFC?</p>
<p>"No one wants stress, but this is too important to rollover. "</p>
<p>Completely agree. I do not intend to rollover. I want daughter to get as much as possible and finish school without a mountain of debt.</p>
<p>"But, I wonder if the court would uphold that he has to pay a “fair share” of a pricey private…often the benchmark is the cost of a state school. Can the courts force him to fill out CSS NCP info for future years? "</p>
<p>I certainly hope that the benchmark isn’t a state school. Daughter is planning on attending a very specific type of school and she would not get the same caliber of education from a state school. IMHO, I think that the time for him to complain would have been a while ago, it isn’t as if we have been hiding. We have already paid the enrollment fee. He should have asked where she was looking a long time ago.</p>
<p>As I indicated in my original post, his wage is a matter of public record, and the fact that his house was paid off a few years ago is too. He is sitting rather pretty, while we struggle to maintain.</p>
<p>I don’t think you understand - you the parent do not have an EFC. Your child has one EFC. It is the expected family contribution calculation. It is the number that is used to determine federal aid. That is all. The EFC will not be what you are required to pay. The EFC is not what <em>I</em> am required to pay. It doesn’t mean anything related to the bottom line. Most of the time we have to pay far more than the EFC as determined by filling out the FAFSA.</p>
<p>The fact that he fills out the NCP form doesn’t change your child’s EFC.</p>
<p>But none of this has anything to do with what the balance due is at the school your child enrolls in. </p>
<p>As NewEnglandMother wrote (italics mine):
</p>
<p>I agree with those who post that you need to see your lawyer ASAP and get a judge to rule about how much he will be required to pay. That will be the only number that matters at the end of the day. </p>
<p>She has enrolled, so you should know what the balance due will be - so now a judge needs to decide exactly what he needs to pay.</p>