I’m looking at NPC calculations for my custodial parents, which are favorable. My noncustodial parent is on Social Security Disability and has no possibly considerable income. She has been married to someone making around 70k/year for about four years; however, they are separated, with no reconciliation coming in the foreseeable future. Will his income still be counted for the Profile, even though he’s never been a figure in my life and is no longer together with my mom?
At most CSS Profile schools, yes, his income will still be counted as available to pay for you to attend the school. From their point of view, it is no different than if your NCP were happily remarried but you had never lived with or around that stepparent.
FAFSA does not consider couples who are separated to both have money available to support you; CSS Profile generally does. CSS Profile is based on the premise that their marriage morally obligates them to support you.
Legally, none of your parents or stepparents are required to support you at all after you turn 18 and graduate from HS, in most states. (A small number of states do legally require divorced (but not married) parents to pay for their children to go to college.)
The legal and financial considerations are not exactly consistent across the board. You should ask all parents and stepparents how much support they are able and willing to provide for your education, and keep that number in mind when considering where to matriculate. The colleges are likely to have a very optimistic guess about how much money to expect from all your parents and stepparents.
At most schools, including CSS schools, your step-dad’s income will not matter because he is now permanently separated from your mom. You need to contact each school, but this has come up in the past, and most schools understand that a step-parent who is now left the family should not be expected to contribute.
However, if your mom is receiving support from him, that would get included in her info.