noncustodial parent living out of country

<p>Does anyone have information on what will be required from father living out of country teaching school (indefinite contract)... He says he will not be required to file a 2008 Tax Return in US, and that he has expatriate status.
He has never contributed financially in any way towards his daughter's support. We were never married; I have always been a single parent. He stays in contact with my daughter by e-mail and has been in her life, though sees her infrequently.
Any information or tips that will help me in applying for financial aid will be appreciated. My daughter is an excellent student with high test scores, applying to many selective schools...Thanks, Steena</p>

<p>If your husband is a US citizen, or holds US resident alien status (green card) he should be filing a US Tax return every single year. Often people who are working abroad find out that they do not owe any US Taxes because of the foreign income exemption, etc. Happydad and I lived abroad for eight years and never owed the US a cent in taxes during that time. However, we did file the paperwork. Everything is on the internet now at Internal</a> Revenue Service, and it really isn't all that hard to do. There even is an automatic extension of the filing date if you are overseas on April 15. This person is just being lazy.</p>

<p>Now, if you have plenty of evidence that he has never provided a cent for your child's support, you can ask the colleges what sort of supporting documents you will need to provide their financial aid offices. Many will accept letters from your child's HS guidance officer (or the like) and will be able to use their "professional judgment" and eliminate the requirement that the father provide financial support.</p>

<p>Wishing you all the best.</p>

<p>^ What if the noncustodial parent isn't a US citizen, do you just get a letter in that case?</p>

<p>Paradycia -</p>

<p>Pick up the telephone and call each of the colleges/universities that you are applying to. Address this problem directly with the financial aid office. Each school may have a slightly different way of dealing with the problem, and some may require more documentation (or different documentation) than others. There are a number of factors that the schools may be able to take into consideration including whether or not the noncustodial parent has totally vanished from the student's life, whether or not the noncustodial parent is able to contribute to the student's college expenses, etc., etc. You really have to address this issue school by school.</p>

<p>Good luck!</p>