<p>I think a lot of people have the same problem. So my biological old man left when I was born and I never really saw his face and since I was born in Vietnam, nobody cares about child support (it's not even illegal not to pay child support there). I don't even know if he is even dead or alive. So now I'm living with my dad (my step-dad but I never called him so because I always consider him my dad since I was born). On the applications, I didn't even put that I have a step-father, I just say I live with both parents. Although, before I realized anything about Noncustodial Parent’s Statement or so, I wrote an essay on CommonApp and I talked about my background, telling how heartless the freaking old-man was and how I became strong blah blah. Can I still be able to qualify for receiving Financial Aids?
When I got my last name changed to my dad's (before I had my mom's), the judge just let me changed (although I had to explain why I couldn't find the old man and whatsoever. Name change for minority requires the permission of both biological parents in Arizona)
I just applied to Washing University of St. Louis and they said that the Noncustodial Parent’s Statement must be completed. I can't.</p>
<p>I’m just not sure if the college reads my essay and be like: this girl lives with a step-parent and she puts that she lives with both parents and all that. </p>
<p>So you need to explain to their financial aid office that you have had no contact with your biological dad for however many years it has been. I assume from your story that you and your mom have not heard from him in many years… if that is the case, they will probably give you a waiver. It is not clear to me, is your mom married to the man you consider your step-dad? If so, both your mom & your step-dad’s information likely will need to be provided. If they aren’t married, you probably need to ask the FA office about that as well. </p>
<p>If your application itself isn’t right (eg, you aren’t showing the relationship of your parents (including your step dad) correctly, you probably need to notify admissions to correct that portion of your application as well. </p>
<p>I am not really clear on the problem with your essay, but probably you do not need to worry about that as long as you get the application right and discuss your situation with your bio dad with the financial aid office. They DO grant waivers, but they really want to make sure you have no contact with him and haven’t had any for years.</p>
<p>Thank you, for the application, I purposely put both as parents (my mom and my step dad are married) since I don’t remember my bio-father’s name or anything</p>
<p>This will have to be explained to the FA offices for your schools. They will make a determination on whether to allow a NCP waiver. I think it will probably be approved.</p>
<p>You have to deal with each school that requires a Non Custodial Parent financial state to be filed (usually PROFILE schools). So in this case you ask Wash U what they need from you to get a NCP Waiver. Your mother and you will have to answer some questions on their form and get someone from the “outside” like counselor, doctor, etc to verify that your biological father has never been in the picture for you. </p>
<p>My husband’s father deserted the family and there was no contact for fewer years than in your case, and there were no problems with NCP waiver. I think it will be approved. But you will have to do this with each such school.</p>
<p>There is nothing inherently illegal about not paying/providing child support. It is only illegal if a Court orders him to pay it and he violates the Court’s order.</p>
<p>If your stepfather did not adopt you, then you tell the school that you have never had any contact with your biological father and you have no idea how to find him. This is a circumstance that they will have seen before, and should accept with some simple documentation.</p>
<p>If your stepfather did legally adopt you, then he is your real father for all legal intents and purposes and there is no reason to even acknowledge that you have someone else’s DNA.</p>
<p>I suggest you avoid any overt criticism of your biological father. From what you say, you actually know nothing at all about him. Showing unrelenting contempt and anger towards someone you never met won’t help you in college admissions, either. That is a problem that your mother already handled many years ago; accept that she handled it as best she could, and move on.</p>