<p>If you put your grandmother as your noncustodial parent on the CSS Profile even though you live with your mother and siblings do you have to explain that in the Explanations/Special Circumstances part? I'm using my grandmother's income for the FAFSA and the CSS Profile and I'm claimed on her tax forms. Please help.</p>
<p>You cannot use your grandmother’s income and assets on the FAFSA or the profile. It does not matter that she claims you on her taxes.</p>
<p>If your mother is your custodial parent, you must use her income and assets on the FAFSA and the profile. If there is a non-custodial profile that needs to be filed, then your father must report his income and assets.</p>
<p>If you use your grandmother’s information your paperwork not be processed (meaning no financial aid for you).</p>
<p>My mother is unemployed and I have no contact with my father. My grandmother lives with us and we use her income that’s why I was asking. Does that mean that I should leave all of those parts blank?</p>
<p>You have to list your father as noncustodial and your mother as custodial. It doesn’t matter who claims you on their taxes. Don’t list your grandmothers income anywhere, except if the question is if anyone else pays any of your bills. Your mother’s unemployment or whatever is all that is reported as your custodial income.</p>
<p>In the special circumstances part, you can explain that you have no contact with your father. That doesn’t mean the school will not pursue wanting his information, but that is how you fill out this form.</p>
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<p>As others have noted…you use your MOTHER as your custodial parent on the FAFSA AND on the PROFILE…not your grandmother. For the PARENT income section, you list your MOTHER’S income…and assets…if it’s $0 you put $0 (although be prepared to explain how you are able to live with NO income).Your tax filing status has NO BEARING on your financial aid situation.</p>
<p>For the Profile, you can ask the schools if they will grant you a NCP waiver…but you will have to provide more than just a tad of evidence that you have no contact with your dad. These waivers are not easy to come by. Having NO contact with your father is only half of the equation…you would have to prove that you have no knowledge of where he is. But you can make the request of the schools for the NCP waiver and see what happens.</p>