Refusal to Complete Non-Custodial Parent Form

Paying for College
1

<p>I've reviewed some of the posts that seem to relate to this issue yet would appreciate any additional guidance on this.</p>

<p>Is it accurate that if a child's non-custodial parent flatly refuses to complete the requisite form (parents are divorced) as required by the schools my child has already applied to that the child will not be eligible for <em>any</em> financial aid (need, merit, loans, etc.)?</p>

<p>Would the colleges accept the FAFSA alone or reject anything submitted on related to financial aid?</p>

<p>Is there anything the custodial parent can do with the colleges in terms of informing them of this and asking for their assistance?</p>

<p>I am sick about this as my child will both need and qualify for financial aid and I desperately need to know what options exist in this situation. College applications have been submitted along with a host of other information and the FAFSA is in process.</p>

<p>Any assistance greatly appreciated.</p>

2

<p>If you were to get what you want, an exception from the rules when the NCP flatly refuses to cooperate, then pretty soon wouldn’t every NCP “flatly refuse” to fill out the form? If it were ignored and there were no consequences, why would any NCP choose to cooperate?</p>

3

<p>No. it’s not true that your child will get no aid. Different schools will treat this differently. What the above poster says has some truth–they won’t let this go easily or everyone would do it. They will want to know if you are in touch with the other parent and especially if he paid child support.</p>

<p>If you can prove your child has no contact with the parent, no support was paid or you don’t know where he is, many colleges will work with you.</p>

<p>If this is a parent whose whereabouts are known, is in contact with the family, has paid support but just doesn’t feel like paying for college–choose a FAFSA only school.</p>

<p>I would expect much more help and understanding from the large endowment, meet full need schools than an average private college.</p>

4

<p>Yes, of course I understand and recognize why these policies exist – this is not the question. All policies have exceptions and I also recognize that there would be criteria that needs to be met. I am asking whether there <em>may be</em> room to have colleges work with us on this or not. I am also asking whether the schools to which application has been made (and which require this form) would possibly accept/consider the FAFSA alone and/or whether discussion with these schools could occur or whether it would hurt my child in terms of possible admission.</p>

<p>And…I do know non-custodial parents who certainly have completed the necessary paperwork because they recognize the ramifications to the child of <em>not</em> doing so.</p>

5

<p>The only thing you have mentioned that distinguishes your situation from any other is that here the NCP is flatly refusing to fill out the form. How would you administer and evaluate a flat refusal exception? </p>

<p>I know you are looking for a specific answer, but if you look at the big picture you will have a clue to your answer.</p>

6

<p>Believe me…if I knew how a college would administer and evaluate a flat refusal, I would not be struggling for whatever information I could get my hands on at this late hour. Big picture is that this could well result in my child not being able to attend college. Some things in life are out of our hands in terms of directly being able to influence the outcome. This NCP will not fill out any paperwork – out of my hands. I’m trying to determine how I can keep college within grasp by determining if colleges will work with parents or not.</p>

7

<p>Pianomom, it doesn’t really matter what anyone says to you on this forum. The only people worth asking are the financial aid offices where your child is applying. In any case, you wouldn’t be giving them the FAFSA only, because of course the CSS Profile with your information would also be expected if they require the CSS Profile in the first place.</p>

<p>I think you do need to be prepared for disappointment (as I’m sure your are already) because some schools will be very inflexible about this and others perhaps more so. We’ve seen kids posting here before who got waivers for the Non-Custodial Parent form in the past, so it does occasionally happen. First thing to do is submit the FAFSA and the CSS Profile. Then contact the colleges and ask for a waiver application for the NCP portion of the application. You can make your case there and see what results you get.</p>

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<p>Your situation remains unclear. It very much matters what type of schools you’re talking about. The vast majority of schools require only FAFSA (though few of these meet need), but why wouldn’t state colleges still be within reach? Many kids face this and still go to college.</p>

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<p>Did your ex pay child support for your child and/or have a decent amount of contact with your child after the divorce? If he did, it is less likely that schools are going to overlook his refusal to fill out the form. As mentioned above, that would just encourage all parents to refuse. Exceptions are usually made when the NCP has been totally absent from the child’s life - no contact, no child support, etc. In such cases, the schools sometimes require a signature from a reliable 3rd party (such as a minister, priest, rabbi) that the NCP was not in your child’s life. </p>

<p>Since at this point, you have no idea how schools that require NCP info are going to handle this situation, your child really needs to apply to some schools that give good aid and do NOT require NCP info. I realize that that might mean that your child won’t be able to go to any of the dream schools that s/he has wanted. That is a heartbreak. However, it’s a heartbreak that many kids face (even those from intact homes), when their parents can’t or won’t pay their EFCs, or when parents won’t fill out paperwork.</p>

<p>If your child doesn’t apply to any financial safeties, your child may end up with inadequate financial aid packages. Has s/he applied to any of her state schools? (OOS publics generally do not meet need.)</p>

<p>I don’t know what your ex’s issue is, but from what I’ve learned from other people is …
NCPs who refuse are …</p>

<p>1) afraid that his ex will be able to see his financial information (that won’t happen).</p>

<p>2) afraid that if the EFC comes back high, then it will be obvious that he makes a lot more money than you may have thought. (and if you have younger children, may ask for increased child support.)</p>

<p>3) afraid that if the EFC comes back high, his child will think that he can afford to pay, but is just being mean.</p>

<p>4) afraid that no matter what the EFC comes back with, he’ll be expected to contribute, and he doesn’t want to or can’t afford to.</p>

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<p>But I will say again, Pianomom… no one here knows what the outcome of a NCP waiver appeal will be. You need to make that application to the colleges themselves and find out for yourself.</p>

<p>My son’s best friend got a waiver and he had contact with his father and his father had contributed money towards expenses when he was in high school and before. His father just refused to pay anything for college (he was a professional with a professional job). This kid got a waiver from Northwestern and then later from Middlebury.</p>

<p>I’m not telling you that to offer you false encouragement, because it seems that often (I gather from reading here on CC) that those waivers are not granted, but sometimes they are.</p>

<p>I also think you should make sure some financial safeties are included in the schools to which your child is applying. That is critical.</p>

11

<p>5) afraid that something will conflict with his understanding that his responsibility for a mistake made 18 years ago is finally over</p>

<p>The problem is, legally, responsibility usually ends when the child is an adult at 18. Some universities, however, by of the Profile, believe that responsibility continues until the first undergraduate college degree is awarded.</p>

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<p>“I’m trying to determine how I can keep college within grasp …”</p>

<p>There are a lot of ways to keep college within grasp!</p>

<p>Check out:
Your local public community college.
Your in-state public colleges and universities
Working part-time and studying part-time.
For the right student, military service.
Short career-training program that will lead directly to a job with a company that offers educational benefits.</p>

<p>A great older thread that includes advice on how to find money is <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/291483-update-what-i-learned-about-free-ride-scholarships.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/291483-update-what-i-learned-about-free-ride-scholarships.html&lt;/a&gt; Not all of the advice will apply in your situation, but you certainly will get some ideas.</p>

<p>Don’t let your worries about the evil NCP stop you!</p>

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<p>*I am sick about this as my child will both need and qualify for financial aid *</p>

<p>I don’t know what schools your child is applying to, but if he is only applying to CSS schools with NCP, then he may be setting himself up for a major disappointment.</p>

<p>Your child NEEDS to apply to a couple in-state schools (such as the flagship and one commuter) - those typically only ask for FAFSA. </p>

<p>Unfortunately, the privates that don’t ask for NCP info, are usually the ones that don’t give the most aid. </p>

<p>Where is your child applying?</p>

<p>(I think more parents need to have something put in divorce decrees that stipulate that parents must pay X towards college cost.)</p>

14

<p>Has your child applied to schools at which he or she may be eligible for non-need-based merit aid? Is it possible to add any of those schools to the mix at this late stage?</p>

<p>I agree that you do need to speak directly to each of the financial aid offices. Some may work with you, some may not. You will not be the first person asking this question, and you will not be the last. Most will already have procedures in place (even if the procedure is just saying “nothing we can do”), and should be able to let you know what other steps, if any, you should take.</p>

<p>Good luck to you.</p>

<p>Your child will also be eligible for Stafford loans by just using FAFSA, even if schools require the Profile as well.</p>

15

<p>Thank you Chedva and all who so kindly took the time to respond. All of your guidance is now part of my <em>package</em> and I will be discussing this with the colleges directly. And thanks as well to 'rentof2 for that slim hopeful sign that sometimes it does work out. Again, many thanks.</p>

16

<p>Good luck!!!</p>

<p>Let us know what happens!</p>