<p>For regular decision colleges/universities, will the NCP waiver documents be required to be turned in by February, or by the application deadline?</p>
<p>Depends on the school. Most of them want to know about it when you're filing for aid. I strongly suggest notifying schools you're seeking a waiver EARLY in the process -- January, early February -- instead of waiting. Some schools don't need a formal waiver, some schools have a lot more they want you to show. </p>
<p>We started in January before the freshman year, writing financial aid offices and asking about their process. That really helped.</p>
<p>What type of things do you need to write in space? Do colleges find it weird if your non-custodial parent does not pay child support? Mine doesnt and I'm afraid my non-custodial parent waiver will be denied which means I wont be going to college because I have no means of paying for college without financial aid because I havent had any luck with scholarships so far...</p>
<p>They don't find it "weird", but it's not necessarily going to help. Does the parent not pay because they don't have a requirement to -- that is, because it wasn't in the custody agreement? Does the parent not pay because they're ignoring an existing child support order? What other contact does the student have with the NCP? What's the history? </p>
<p>"My other parent doesn't pay child support and isn't going to help with college" is unlikely to get you a waiver. "My other parent has been repeated held in contempt of court for refusing to pay child support, refuses to provide address or contact information so we cannot request financials, and has not contacted the student in 15 years" is more the sort of situation that colleges are willing to grant a waiver for. It really helps if you can document the situation, so court things, statements from child support showing non-payment, and third party corroboration -- from counsellors, case workers, pastors, etc -- helps. </p>
<p>Basically, when you explain it, give them a brief narrative. Don't just say, "Doesn't pay child support". Tell them why. Tell them the <em>story</em>, but be brief.</p>