<p>can anybody share how the colleges calculate the part that non-custodial parent should contribute? Do they give the aproximate number after you submit non-custodial form (like they do on FAFSA)? If not, then what to expect? Some percent of the AGI?</p>
<p>Schools will use that information according to their own policies. It is not like the FAFSA federal calculation which is a set formula.</p>
<p>You may find one school adds a lot to the family contribution based on the non-custodial parent’s assets and income, while another school may calculate a lower amount. And there are other factors related to the non-custodial parent’s other obligations.</p>
<p>You’ll just need to wait until you get your acceptances and aid awards and then compare them.</p>
<p>I wonder if the total amount paid by both parents should be the same as if they are married and combine their incomes?</p>
<p>I doubt it. It will probably be a little lower than if they were married and combining incomes because in the divorced/separated scenario, there will be an allowance for the fact that they will be maintaining two households instead of one. I’m just guessing though. There are no rules as to how any given school has to treat that information.</p>
<p>'rent is right.</p>
<p>They can’t just add two household incomes as if they were still married, because each household has its own “home expenses” that must get paid for. Plus, there can be 4 adults involved…so again, more expenses involved.</p>
<p>The thing that frustrates many in this situation is that the school does not “break down” the family contribution into Family A’s contribution and Family B’s contribution. unfortunately, all a school does is give an amount that then the two families are supposed to contribute to.</p>
<p>Obviously, by not splitting the contribution fairly based on each household’s income/assets, these families sometimes cannot come to an agreement as to how much each side should contribute. </p>
<p>And…obviously, it’s unfair for such families to simply split the costs 50/50 if one side earns a lot more which caused the jump in family contribution.</p>