<ol>
<li><p>I would hope that either parent, NCP or CP, would share the college tax credits with the kid. Not certain if CP can pay for ANY college.</p></li>
<li><p>Normal tax breaks for dependent can be split by agreement between divorced parents. </p></li>
<li><p>Child Support may be stopping soon, and again parties can reach agreement. Also, ime, CS rarely covers entire cost of kid - financially CP may be better off. </p></li>
</ol>
<p>All the things you are talking about can be agreed between parties. Finaid can not. Kid either meets standards or doesn’t. You are suggesting kid leave money on the table rather than discussing with parents. Kid may already be working as many hours as possible. Having kid work more hours is not always an answer.</p>
<p>Agree…doesn’t sound like the OP is starting college this fall so he and his parents have time to work, save, apply for scholarships through HS, etc. At any rate, he does have the option of taking $4500 Stafford loan if he can’t manage to do any of those things. Honestly, I’m not sure why he’s opposed to taking loans for the first 60 credits when he would likely have taken a higher loan amount if he were earning them at a unversity. It’s still a cost savings to him and the family, especially if the EFC is unaffordable, and the parent would still be able to claim the tax credit and hopefully put it away to reduce loans the following year.</p>
<p>kayf, there’s much we don’t know about this family situation. Mom has two kids- I assume the 2nd is younger. She earns 65k. We don’t know how child support, if any, is handled or any tax deductions are shared. Nor, what her assets or debts are. We don’t know if OP is working- or even if he has scoured the Bergen fin aid pages (which lay out funding opps.)</p>
<p>I just thought that, on the face of it, if OP thinks mom will be spared any portion of the $4300 tuition by having him move to dad’s, she could then stand to lose her $3500 dep tax deduction. Maybe she loses less, depending on arragements. But, it is not clear cut.</p>