<p>If you don’t like your own state universities, why not look at other FAFSA only public schools? Yes, you’ll pay non-resident tuition rates, but in some states they really are not exhorbitant. It may end up being much less that going to a private $40K/year school that doesn’t meet need or requires Profile.</p>
<p>I’m sorry to hear you are going through tough times with non-custodial parents and financial aid. I understand your situation somewhat as I am in a similar bind. I live with my Mom and her husband, and neither of them make much. I see my Dad and his wife occasionally. He makes quite a bit of money but that money won’t be going towards my education. I’ve been looking at the schools in the “Colleges That Change Lives” book/website because I’ve heard they offer good merit aid. I’ve also gone through the list on collegeboard.com that says which schools ask for the non-custodial profile, then checked those schools’ websites to make sure the info was accurate. In some cases (Oberlin, Wellesley, to name a couple) it wasn’t. You could do the same for schools that you are interested in. You could look into University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, WA. Other than that, I would explore the honors programs within your state schools. They will offer a smaller community and smaller class sizes, but with a more reasonable price tag.</p>
<p>Thanks for the idea Vegan_Girl; I’ve gotten a brochure or two from Puget Sound, so I might want to recheck them out. </p>
<p>(I haven no idea if my B being AP track really makes a difference, but I <em>am</em> looking at creative writing scholarships, so I’ll see…) </p>
<p>I just wish I knew how much they’re going to be expecting from my non-custodial. I have a friend of a friend who works for FA so maybe I can ask how closely they look at all that, now that I’ve seen all my options. (Said friend had nearly the same problem, and said she paid less that her state school, so I think it can be done…)</p>
<p>I will keep in mind to ask my teachers for an ASU recommendation however.</p>
<p>Write up a narrative of your relationship with your father and ask the schools you’re applying to about waiving the non-custodial waiver. Some schools are more firm about it than others. If you apply to some strong matches with good aid, you may be able to find one that will take your narrative seriously. No promises, though, especially since as you explain it, it does sound a lot like another “My dad doesn’t want to pay” story.</p>