I’m an international student applying for financial aid (need-blind universitues), and I have had a problem; my parents were separated since 2008 (I live with my mother and grandparentd) and divorced in 2016.
My father refused to be in contact with me, blocked me on social media, and called the police when my mother brought me to his house to meet him. The day of their divorce I was supposed to go to the house to list all my belongings that were there since 2008 and that day he told me that he’s happy living with his new family and might someday contact me and explain more about what he did, but now I don’t even know where he lives with his wife and he didn’t contact me anymore.
However, my problem is that I’ve read on other websites that it’s hard to prove that my father doesn’t want to pay for my expenses. He only pays a court-ordered child support which is equal to $12.
He has also provided his wage statement (pay slip?) to the court when he was required to pay child support. My mom has seen his wage statement and his annual income is $2600 (an average income in my country. The price of dollar is very high here).
In my country, a lawyer can have access to all the documents in a case, so I can ask my mother’s lawyer to get my father’s wage statement.
Now I don’t exactly know what to do. It’s not like he can pay for my expenses even if he was willing to do so and his income is very low. Should I request a non-custodial parent waiver and ask our lawyer to get my father’s wage statement and attach it to the form so colleges can see that even if he was willing to pay for my expenses, the amount would not suffice?
First…you can’t attach anything to the CSS Profile or any other financial aid application form. You fill in the data and submit the financial application form.
If your college requires the non-custodial parent Profile, your dad would need to complete that. Not you. Not your mother’s lawyer.
If you want to ask for a non-custodial parent waiver, then do so. Ask each college to which you are applying. All will have a process for making this request, as well as the documentation you need.
Some schools might grant the waiver while others might not.
Based on the information you presented, you do not meet the requirements for a waiver. if your father chooses not to pay for college, then you will have to find a school that will not require his information
The problem is that even if I were in contact with him and he was willing to pay for college, his income would be very low ($2,600). Won’t colleges consider this? In my country, the annual income of a middle-class family in USD is around $6,000 and all students from my country that got into need-blind schools had $0 contribution.
The reason why they don’t accept the fee waiver is that they think the parent can pay for a student’s expenses but doesn’t want to? What if even if he was willing to pay, the contribution would be $0?
Really, you just need to do your best to follow the requirements, the chances of international admission to a full needs met school is very low in the first place. Your dad just needs to do the paperwork, as you yourself state, he won't be able to contribute anyway, so all the more reason to get it done. Don't place any reason for your application to be disregarded because of failure to follow requirements.
You can apply for the waiver and attached any info you have, a letter from the attorney, etc. It may help, it may not. You have to apply for a waiver with each school as there is not a universal waiver form.
You are from Iran. Your other posts indicate that you are applying to Harvard. That is a lottery school. What are your stats? Where else are you applying?
So your parent combined incomes would be $6400 a year?
If you get accepted to a college that guarantees to meet full need for all international students, your aid will be good even with your dad’s income added in.
BUT…
Schools that meet full need for all are highly competitive for admissions, and even more so for international students.
Your ability to pay at schools that meet full need for all internationals will be considered when your application for admission is considered because most colleges that meet full need are need aware for international students.
There are only five colleges that guarantee to meet full need for all international students AND are need blind for admissions. They are very highly competitive for admissions.
Will your dad complete the non-custodial Parent Profile? If so, just have him do it. His very small income is not going to have much of an impact on you getting need based aid, should you be accepted.
I would strongly suggest you look for an affordable option perhaps in your country.
Do you have a very high SAT or ACT score…and GPA? You mention Harvard in another thread. Are you a competitive applicant for this college?