<p>If I request a noncustodial parent waiver under the CSS (or for FAFSA schools that also require noncustodial parent information), are there generally accepted standards as to what is or is not sufficient to grant the waiver?</p>
<p>In this situation, the dad has not seen the student in 6 years. Custody order says dad's visits have to be supervised by the court. Therapist said welfare of child was at risk when in dad's presence (unless supervised). Have the custody order, but the therapist may be hard to track down after so many years. School guidance counselor has the custody order, and could write a letter saying the student hasn't seen the dad. The dad mails a check for court-ordered child support every month. Other than mailing child support the dad has no contact with ex-wife.</p>
<p>Live in a state where the dad does not have to pay for college. Dad will only pay child support through high school, which is all state requires, and this is in custody order. So would the custody order requiring the court to supervise visits, plus a guidance counselor letter that the student has had no contact with the dad in years be enough to get a waiver, if the dad has paid child support through high school? Or do we have to document that we tried to contact the dad? Problem is that the dad could pose a danger, and from history I know the dad will not fill out the form. So the family is being put at some risk for no reason. The dad said before he would not pay for college and is very uncooperative. Also, the dad filed for bankruptcy a couple of years ago, and bankruptcy filing shows no assets and low to moderate income. Could provide bankruptcy filing to college, but it is not from this year. Could also show dad has alcohol problem with court records of recent DUI convictions if needed. Thank you.</p>
<p>You can certainly get a waiver even if you get child support. (I know, because we have, and we do.) I don’t know how many responses you’re going to get from families who have successfully gotten waivers, but I’ll tell you what I know from experience doing so. There does not seem to be a standard, and schools vary widely in what they want to consider waiving NCP info and how they’ll evaluate that. We notified something like nearly a dozen schools of our intention to request a waiver, and followed up with (I think) 8 of those. Some of them needed nothing more than the student’s email explaining the family situation. Some of them wanted forms, documentation, 3rd party letters. Lots were in between those two extremes. </p>
<p>The best thing I can tell you is to contact FA offices at schools you’re applying to early in the process (December or earlier!) and ask about their procedures. The responses will really give you a sense of who is going to be easier or harder to work with – there was a strong corrolation between schools that were informal and relaxed in their process and schools that were liberal in their evaluations. </p>
<p>My best advice is for the student (and you) to be honest, candid, and up front about the family situation. Spend some time writing up a short narrative explaining how things are and how you got there. If you have any specific questions, feel free to send me a private message and we can talk in detail.</p>
<p>This is to TrinSF, what an amazing answer, it really was the information that I needed. I called the school that I want to attend and they told me to write them an email but I wasn’t sure what type of email. your response really helped ! I am in a unique situation and will now write a short narrative explaining myself and hopefully look to get the noncustodial part of the css waived !</p>
<p>seaoftea1: I’m so glad it helped! Sometimes I feel like a voice in the wilderness, because there are so many people who are not in the situation our family is in on CC but who have a lot of advice for those who do. Some of it (like saying that you can’t get a waiver if you get child support) is wrong, or at least not always valid. I always worry that people will read things like that and think some schools are off limits to them, when that’s not necessarily true.</p>
<p>I agree with TrinSF that you should at least put forth your best effort to get the waiver. :)</p>
<p>however, Hmom5’s post is also true. Often when child support has been paid, a waiver is not granted, so be prepared for that answer, too. TrinSF is right that some schools are more lenient in this regard, but I suspect that many are not because the system falls apart if NCPs (or any parent) can just say, “I won’t pay.”</p>
<p>That said, good luck and I hope it works out for you. </p>
<p>Does your child have any safety schools that are affordable and/or don’t require NCP info?</p>
<p>I have requested the waiver at about 5-6 schools. Only one has ever actually acknowledged it, and answered that the request for waiver was accepted. I just ASSUME the others are OK, or I guess I’ll be hearing from them. We have 2 FAFSA only schools…but EACH of the other schools all had different forms/processes, and I therefore assume different qualifications. Most of the forms I completed said something like “Have you seen the non custodial parent within the last 2 years?” Though, if he’s paying support…I don’t know (my D has never seen her “sperm donor” - cuz that’s the only title I feel comfortable giving him, and hasn’t had support for 15 years). Even if the state doesn’t require he pay for college, the individual colleges PROBABLY don’t care about that. But…I really have no clue. Just ask each college, follow their rules, and cross your fingers. That’s what we’re doing. Because we don’t even have any way to contact said sperm donor, so…? FYI, my daughter’s school counselor wrote one of her letters too. There is no “father on file”, he’s of course not at any conferences, etc. Some letters suggest a clergy, doctor, etc. We don’t have a clergy so I got a co-worker for the other letter…she’s know both of us for 10 years and knows we’ve had no contact with the other person. Good luck to ya.</p>
<p>I also receive child support for my daughter through a state agency but have no contact with my ex-husband. I sent 2 request for waivers to colleges - just a 1 page letter/email which explains the situation, the reason we do not have contact, and what proof I am able to provide. At one school I received a call from the Financial aid officer telling me that the NCP waiver was approved, at the other school, they just informed me that it would be added to my daughter’s file (but didn’t mention whether it was approved or not, and we haven’t received the financial aid offer yet).</p>