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<p>I hate to be the bearer of bad news…but I don’t believe this is correct. The non-custodial parent waiver isn’t for parents who have inadequately supported their kids, live in the same home and are married (but divorcing) their spouse. It is for kids who are completely estranged from a non-custodial parent. Things like NEVER knowing a parent, having a parent in jail for an extended period of time, parent convicted of child abuse, completely absentee parent.</p>
<p>Yes, a third party can attest to this, but in your (OPs) case, this person would have to say that you had no contact with your father, that he provided NO (read that NO) support to you, that he was abusive, that you had no contact with him (that’s not true by your own statements). </p>
<p>I have to ask…you say your mom has no income and isn’t working…but she is able to “buy out” your dad’s portion of the house. This would indicate to me (and everyone else) that she has some assets somewhere OR she has someone else giving her money to do this. And yes, I do understand that you and your family need a roof over your head, but there is a cost associated with this.</p>
<p>There are parents all the time who say “I’m not paying for college”. They can be married, divorced, and they can be very wealthy. There is no law out there that mandates that ANY parent (married or divorced) pay for college expenses for their kids. None. And a parent saying “I won’t pay any more college bills” is not the key to getting more financial aid. I know that is not what you want to hear, but it’s a fact. If it were that simple, many many parents would say “I’m not paying”. It’s not that simple…nor should it be.</p>
<p>Now…having said all that…if you want Dad’s money, perhaps it’s a time to mend some fences with him. If you really don’t want to have ANYTHING to do with him, I will venture that would include taking money for college.</p>
<p>And lastly…most people don’t just garner a $400k salary overnight. Your dad’s income probably was high for many years. Colleges have the expectation that there will be savings!</p>
<p>Another thing…you say you have enough in a 529 to pay for 1 1/2 years at Cornell. If that is the case, you have at least $25K in that account (1/2 year of tuition, room, board and expenses at Cornell) that would more than pay for an additional 1 1/2 years at most public universities. That would get you 1/2 way through your junior year in college without any additional expenses…not bad. And if you are at your instate public, it is likely a FAFSA only school and only your mom’s info would be used for the remainder of your schooling to determine financial aid.</p>