<p>My daughter has a 3.99 (AP classes) and 95% ACT (summarizing here). I make low income, but my ex-husband makes a lot (> $150K) and is not interested in contributing. Is she limited to applying for only schools that request one income for financial aid (which seems to rule out a lot) or are colleges more savvy about determining whether a non-custodial parent is really going to help? I hope this makes sense. Thanks for reading.</p>
<p>Schools that only use the FAFSA to determine need, don’t look at non custodial parent income or assets.</p>
<p>It isn’t a question of “being savvy”, but schools consider that the responsibilty of paying for a students educational expenses lies with the family first.
There are 100% need met schools, but they are going to expect your husband to contribute.
If schools went by who didn’t feel like paying, very few would pay.</p>
<p>In cases where there has not been any contact with the non custodial parent to the point of not being able to find them, then they can waive that comittment.</p>
<p>I didn’t mean to offend with my use of the word ‘savvy’ so apologies if I did. It’s her unfortunate reality, and I’m trying to help figure out the best route for her. Thanks for your help.</p>
<p>emeraldkity4: you missed a lot of schools by just saying schools that only use the FAFSA.</p>
<p>Check out this list:
<a href=“https://profileonline.collegeboard.com/prf/PXRemotePartInstitutionServlet/PXRemotePartInstitutionServlet.srv[/url]”>https://profileonline.collegeboard.com/prf/PXRemotePartInstitutionServlet/PXRemotePartInstitutionServlet.srv</a></p>
<p>Those are all the schools that use the CSS Profile, then narrow it down to the schools that have “no” under “Noncostudial PROFILE”. These schools do not require noncostudial (ie, ex husband’s) income.</p>
<p>Now, it is worth saying that a portion of those schools that say they don’t require the noncostudial profile also request their own form for noncostudial parents. You should check each financial aid office to see if they do or not. </p>
<p>The only school that I can think of off the top of my head is the school im attending, GWU.</p>
<p>You might want to narrow the list down by the major she is interested in and what schools she plans on applying to. I agree with trying to keep focused on schools that require as little financial info as possible. We learned this lesson the hard way with first daughter…got a little wiser the second time around.</p>
<p>What are your D’s test scores? That’s going to influence where she should apply. Lots of kids have high GPAs these day; it’s the test scores that largely determine entrance into the top schools and getting the best aid pkgs.</p>
<p>95% ACT</p>
<p>??? What is that? A 30 ACT or what? If so, she should retest and also take the SAT.</p>
<p>What is her major and career goal?</p>
<p>What state are you in?</p>
<p>The obstacles that you’re going to face are these…</p>
<p>1) The schools that don’t use NCP info typically don’t meet need. There are a few exceptions…USC and Vandy, but those are hard to get into.</p>
<p>2) The fact that a NCP doesn’t want to pay is meaningless to schools. Unless you don’t know the NCP’s whereabouts and he hasn’t been in your child’s life, then the schools that want to see his income won’t care that he doesn’t want to pay. If schools just let NCPs say that they won’t pay, then none would. </p>
<p>3) The schools that don’t use NCP info will typically gap your aid. Since you’re low income, that will be a problem since you won’t have the means to bridge that gap. </p>
<p>4) If your D has strong test scores, then she also needs to apply to schools that will give her VERY VERY large merit scholarships for her stats.</p>
<p>5) Your D needs to apply to at least 2-3 financial safeties…these are schools that your D likes, will get accepted to, and you’re 100% certain that she’ll get the aid she needs from ASSURED grants, scholarships, and small student loans.</p>
<p>* or are colleges more savvy about determining whether a non-custodial parent is really going to help?*</p>
<p>Again, colleges don’t care. If they determined that an NCP won’t help and gave more aid, then all NCPs would refuse to pay. Parents are the first line to pay. Exceptions are made when the NCP hasn’t been in the child’s life for many, many years, no child support, etc.</p>
<p>That’s a good list wmurphy, although it would probably be even more helpful if it indicated which schools met 100% of need and which ones were " need aware" compared to “need blind”.</p>
<p>Having a school that doesn’t require non custodial parents info, isnt really going to help that much if the aid package leaves a huge gap.</p>
<p>Most of the schools on the list are either grad programs (law, med, pharm programs, Dartmouth Thayer school) or schools that no not meet 100% demonstrated need</p>
<p>Also keep in mind that just because a school does not request the non-custodial profile, it does not mean that they will not eventually request information from the non-custodial parent</p>
<p>example:</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Ran into the same problem last year, as do many, many families. If there is interest in a small to medium size LAC rather than a large university, take a look at Gettysburg. It requires the CSS/Profile only from the custodial parent, and we have found the financial aid to be very, very good. It ended up being less expensive for us than our state flagship would have been, even though my daughter had free tuition from our state school. The state school gapped for fees and room/board, whereas Gburg just about met our full need.</p>
<p>Merit awards would not look at income or assets from either parent. Because most all of the schools that do not require custodial parent info do not guarantee to meet 100% of need, and do not often do so, it would be wise to use the same tactic in looking at schools for financial aid. Those schools that do not guarantee to meet need tend to dish out the aid they have in a similar way that merit awards are given.</p>
<p>*Merit awards would not look at income or assets from either parent. Because most all of the schools that do not require custodial parent info do not guarantee to meet 100% of need, and do not often do so, it would be wise to use the same tactic in looking at schools for financial aid. *</p>
<p>Right.</p>
<p>If the mom really does have a low income (qualifies for full Pell), then with a large merit scholarship of full tuition, then Pell, a student loan, work-study, and some summer earnings can cover costs.</p>
<p>As I recommend to EVERYONE, your DD needs to look for some schools that she can afford, that are sure to take her. That means local state options where her PELL (if she is PELL eligible-what is your income/asset situation?), her Stafford loans and whatever she/you have saved, can pay out of current income, can cover. That usually means commuting. If she has some such schools on her list, she can then “buy lottery tickets” for admissions, financial aid, scholarships in terms of other schools and see what pans out. But her most important “catch” is the bird in hand, which is her affordable option if all of these other possibilities do not happen.</p>
<p>This link is helpful for schools that require CSS Profile: <a href=“https://profileonline.collegeboard.com/prf/PXRemotePartInstitutionServlet/PXRemotePartInstitutionServlet.srv[/url]”>https://profileonline.collegeboard.com/prf/PXRemotePartInstitutionServlet/PXRemotePartInstitutionServlet.srv</a> Case Western, RPI, Vanderbilt, and University of Southern California are among those not requiring the non-custodial Profile, nor (as far as I know) any supplemental non-custodial information.</p>
<p>There are FAFSA-only schools that have stats-based merit scholarships that you should look into as well, including Pitt, SUNY-Buffalo, University of Alabama, and more.</p>
<p>This is going to take a lot of research and should take account of what your kid’s interests are. But, yes, there are good schools that won’t look at your ex-husband’s income.</p>
<p>^^^
Yes, for many students, their financial safety is the local state school that they can commute to.</p>
<p>However, if your D has strong stats, then schools that give large ASSURED merit for stats can be her safeties.</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/848226-important-links-automatic-guaranteed-merit-scholarships.html?highlight=automatic+scholarships[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/848226-important-links-automatic-guaranteed-merit-scholarships.html?highlight=automatic+scholarships</a></p>
<p>My D just finished first year there – small Ohio LAC FAFSA only, and generous merit aid too. She has loved it. Also Drew in NJ. Went FAFSA only in last couple of years and gives generous merit aid.</p>
<p>Also, any and all state public institutions are FAFSA only from what I understand. SO all those great Virginia schools would only look at your income and not exes (William & Mary, UVa, Mary Washington, JMU etc) as well as TCNJ (The College of New Jersey).</p>
<p>All state U’s do not only use FAFSA. UMich, UVA and UNC use CSS Profile. I don’t know if they use NCP info though. I know that UMich does use NCP info.</p>
<p>Further, the bigger problem with nearly all OOS publics is that while they may not look at the ex’s income, they don’t give much in aid either. So, many wouldn’t be affordable anyway.</p>
<p>UVA and UNC are the only OOS publics that promise to meet need.</p>
<p>If an OOS public doesn’t meet need (which most don’t meet need), then for an OOS public to be affordable, your D would have to get HUGE merit…merit that covers at least full tuition if not more.</p>
<p>^^ the OP needs to find a school that accepts only the FAFSA or do not require noncustodial form AND can be afforded. Simply not having to include a kiddo’s parent doesn’t mean that all is good and need will be met.</p>
<p>^^^</p>
<p>Absolutely. I think your post is a response to the one that is two posts above yours.</p>
<p>Just finding schools that don’t count NCP info is not a solution. The CP is low income and would get gapped at most FAFSA schools and/or or schools that don’t require NCP info. </p>
<p>It’s very likely that most of the schools that don’t require NCP info that will also be affordable would be:</p>
<p>1) Schools that give HUGE merit, so remaining costs can get covered with a Pell Grant and/or or small fed student loan…and maybe some contribution from mom and job income from student.</p>
<p>2) An instate public if they live in a state that gives huge FA to low income kids…like Calif.</p>