Hey Guys!
So, I have a question. I’ve been admitted to the University of Rochester and it’s my top choice as of now. They informed me about a week ago that my dad hadn’t filled out the non-custodial CSS and that my financial aid package can’t be processed without that information.
My parents are separated are currently in the process of getting divorced, and my dad, who has extremely little communication with me, is refusing to fill out the CSS or pay any part of my college tuition. His salary is 200k+ and my mom’s is around 50K. From other schools, I’ve gotten pretty decent financial aid packages.
Is there any way I could get around the Non-custodial CSS? If my dad by some strange chance actually does fill it out will it ruin my chances of aid? Any other options???
Thanks!!! Any advice would be VERY VERY appreciated.
I have already tried calling the school’s FA office and explained the situation to them, and they simply said that my FA cannot be processed until the Non-Custodial CSS is filled. I don’t know what to do now.
I want to know if it’s worth pursuing financial aid or if I should just give up on the school completely. I’m willing to fight 
THANKS!
Nope,
The school requires the CSS profile along with the non-custodial profile. Since you are not eligible for a non-custodial waiver, if you do not submit the information about your dad’s income/assets, you will not receive any financial aid from University of Rochester.
You may have to move on and attend one of your affordable options.
You’re not eligible for a waiver.
your only hope is that since your parents aren’t divorced yet, your mom tells her atty to insist to the court that your dad MUST fill out the forms and he MUST pay $XXXXX per year for your college.
But, likely that won’t happen in time for this year. You might need to ask to defer enrollment for a year while your mom’s atty works out an agreement that your dad must cooperate and pay.
It is highly unlikely that the court is going to order day to pay half the cost of University of Rochester, knowing that mom is not financially able to pay her half. it will most likely be half the cost of the state university of their home state.
The problem is even if the court orders dad to pay half, with 250k of combined income, student will probably not receive any need based aid and mom will not be in a position to pay her half. The college does not care about court arrangements. Student will be given EFC based on the income/assets of both parents
Perhaps Op needs to move on to one of the affordable options
That may be…but paying half of an instate school is better than paying for nothing. And if the dad is req’d to submit CSS profile, then that may help with merit at schools that require submittal.
And, perhaps since there is such a disparity in incomes, the mom may be awarded a generous spousal support. Don’t know if there are younger kids, but if there are, with that income, dad will have to pay there as well.
At a minimum, the mom needs to ask her atty to include a req’t that the dad must pay either half of state tuition…or a proportion 4 to 1 since his income is so much higher…meaning that if mom has to pay $5k per year, then he has to pay $20k per year.
The state guidelines will determine how much child support dad will have to pay
In NYS, if there is one child dad would pay ~17% (34k), 25% (50k) for 2 kids and (70k) for 3 or more kids.
State law/practice would determine if father is required to pay anything at all. In my state, once you are 18, nada. There are only a few states that require payments for college. There are more that consider the payments as part of child support.
The student needs to ask the father to submit the CSS or pick an FAFSA only school.
Realistically, you are not going to get any FA. What schools have given you FA with no NCP data?
Thanks everybody!
SCU has given me a good amount of aid based on only my moms FAFSA and CSS
I am an NJ resident, if that helps
My state school offered no aid and the tuition + room/board is $35,000+
^^^^
What is your FAFSA EFC with JUST your mom’s financial info on it??
If your mom’s income is only $50k, then isn’t your EFC low enough to get a Pell Grant and a NJ grant??
Which NJ publics did you apply to?
Is SCU Santa Clara? What is your net cost after aid? It doesn’t matter if it gave you a lot of aid if the cost is more than your state school.
How much is the tuition/cost for - say - Ramapo, Rowan or Kean??
Is there a NJ school that you can commute to?
How much WILL your mom spend each year on college??
@CocoaPie on your other thread, you have a plan to transfer to some other school…Stanford or Brown. UC Berkeley, Irvine or Davis.
Here is some very free advice. Don’t pick a college based on a plan to transfer. First…transfer admissions to Brown and Stanford are practically non-existent. For the UC’s you listed…do you understand you would be a FULL PAY student at these schools. The UCs don’t give need based aid to transfers.
So…pick a college with a plan to love it and stay there. Either that…or take a gap year…and apply again next year.
Now…regarding costs…
What is your out of pocket cost at Santa Clara? How much in loans?
If you want Rochester to consider you for aid, you will need to get the NCP Profile submitted…or get a waiver. I don’t see anything that would indicate a waiver will be granted. SO…if the NCP form is required and you can’t get it done…Rochester will need to come off the table for consideration.
Your parents are in a transition time themselves…financially and personally. Please try to understand that family circumstances like this sometimes get in the way of students being able to pay lots of money for college.
You need to discuss the finances with your mom. If she says Rutgers is financially possible and nothing else is…you have a couple of choices.
- Go to Rutgers
- Take a gap year, and apply again next year to schools where you might get more merit aid...or where the NCP Profile is not required at all.
Heeeey,
My EFC is around $21,000. I don’t know much specifics because my mom won’t tell me.
I haven’t recieved any federal grant or for my NJ schools.
SCU is Santa Clara University. I’ve recieved a $23,000 grant. Most likely around $5,000 in loans. Net Cost w/ room/board is around $35,000, similar to Rutgers my state school. RUTGERS IS NOT AN OPTION.
I did not apply to Ramapo or any of the smaller schools in NJ, my safety plan being going to a CCC.
I can commute to Rutgers but both my mom and I have agreed mentally/emotionally its best that I move out of the house.
If not URochester, then my 2 options are SCU or a CCC
OK
Thanks guys
Will I be a California resident after 2 years at SCU? I plan to live in California after college and forever.
Absolutely NOT. My kid went to SCU for all four years and got her degree from SCU. You can’t establish instate residency in CA while being a college student.
I’m sure you are asking this because of your “plan” to transfer to one of the UCs. Well…you won’t be an instate student in CA unless your family moves to CA 12 months before you plan to attend. I’m sure you were hoping for need based aid…nope…not going to happen.
Oh…and becoming independent isn’t an option either in case you were thinking of that.
And for the record…my kid also said she was going to live in CA forever…and she isn’t!
Who is paying the $35,000 between the COA and your aid?
And why isn’t Rutgers an option? Let me guess…because you don’t want to be in NJ.
Maybe none of these colleges are affordable…and you need to take a gap year…and apply to affordable schools where you will get accepted.
This needs its own post.
For the record…transfer students to both Brown, and Stanford MUST submit the non-custodial parent Profile form as part of their financial aid application process. So…your dad’s $200,000 income WILL be considered by these schools.
With $200,000 of Dad income and $50,000 of Mom income, it is not likely you would get much need based aid, if any, from either of these universities.
And you won’t get any need based aid from the possible UCs you have listed.
So…if you are having trouble cobbling together $35,000 a year for SCU or Rutgers…then how will you pay the $70,000 a year cost for Stanford or Brown…or the full cost of attendance t those UCs…which approaches $60,000 a year…
Find an affordable college.
My mom and sisters are moving to California in the next year wether I go to college there or not, if that makes a difference. I lived in Cali for years before NJ and have a thousand relatives around there and it would take a lot for me to not stay there after college.
Rutgers isn’t an option because it actually costs more than SCU (I cannot commute). I don’t mind being in NJ if I really can’t afford anywhere else but I would rather move to California or another state since NJ has been a very stressful place for me in my childhood and I need change.
According to my mom, a gap year is NOT AN OPTION because by dad would no longer be court-binded to pay for ANY part of my college. SCU is better because in the long-run I could possibly commute. My mom’s words, not mine.
Sorry if the situation is confusing guys. I’m pretty lost and stressed myself. I don’t know much details and nobody is really willing to tell me.
I’m guessing by all this that URochester is out of the question. Ok.
If you don’t have any real advice, please just don’t answer. I was just trying to get a better picture of the situation I’m in and what would be the best choice. Clock is ticking to May 1st.
Thanks for the help so far anyways.
I guess one last question. Would it save money to go from a CCC -> UC or stay in SCU for 4 years?
Me being hopeful . . .
Would loans or work-study + a 1/3 tuition scholarship be enough to bring Rochester’s cost down to at least $20,000?
My mom says that out-of-pocket is okay (I don’t understand that but I’m going with it).
How will you pay for the CCC in CA? And then the UC? You would be paying OOS costs for the CCC plus housing…which is no bargain in CA.
Let’s say your mom moves to CA in June 2017. You would not be an instate resident for AT LEAST 12 months after that…at least.
@ucbalumnus how long does it take to establish residency in CA? If this student is enrolled at Santa Clara,many her parent moves to CA…how long would it take for her to gain instate resident status?
Can your family afford the cost to attend SCU for every year? Do they have the money to pay the bills not covered by financial aid?
If your parents are separated now…your mom needs to talk to her lawyer about college costs. I doubt you will see a court order for half of,the tuition at a private college. But you could see one for 1/2 of the cost of your instate public university. Your mom needs to work that detail out as part of her divorce settlement.
But do understand…schools will compute your need based aid based on their formula for doing so. If they require the NCP Profile…it will need to be filed. The schools really won’t care about a divorce settlement…but the divorce settlement might give your mom a little,buffer in terms of paying your college costs.