<p>Hi guys. I'm not sure if this is a silly question, since I'm not really sure how all the financial aid systems work. Which is why I'm asking here.</p>
<p>My parents are divorced. When they got divorced, they both signed an agreement saying that they would each pay exactly half of my college costs, minus my financial aid. </p>
<p>Both ended up remarrying - I live primary with stepdad + mom, so they were the one's whose combined income (100K+) ended up being used for FAFSA. That got me an EFC of about $33 thousand.</p>
<p>My top choice school is estimated at about $58 thousand for the year. I got a package (scholarships, loans, work study) from them for about 24 thousand - which brings it right about to that $33 thousand number.</p>
<p>My problem is related to the court agreement. Family A, the one's I live with most of the time, are perfectly able to pay their half of the college costs. My dad (Family B) however, is not, as he makes much less money than them, and is putting two other kids through college. He barely scrapes by as is - an additional 16 grand a year on top of his other commitments simply isn't doable.</p>
<p>My question is, do you think it is worth appealing for a little extra aid based on these facts? My mom/dad each legally have to pay half of costs, but my dad's half of that commitment is brought up dramatically because Family A (Mom + Stepdad) make a lot of money - but money that plays no role in my dad's finances whatsoever. </p>
<p>This was probably a silly question, and I'm sure there's good reasons for the system being the way it is, but i'm kind of desperate. Any advice is much appreciated!</p>
<p>You certainly can ask…but most colleges compute the amount they feel you can pay, and they don’t care how you pay it. The colleges are NOT bound by any stipulations in a divorce decree.</p>
<p>It sounds like your school did not use your non-custodial parent in their calculations anyway (is that correct). That being the case, they already are not expecting money from that source.</p>
<p>It does not hurt to ask for more money. However, here is a problem I see. Your financial aid package appears to have been put together without taking into account your father’s financials and that of your Family B. The school must be one that uses FAFSA only in coming up with your aid package since PROFILE schools use both parents and the steps finanical information.</p>
<p>So what you are doing is asking for a school to take into account your father’s financial situation when they did not require his information and are not taking into account his earnings, assets, his wife’s financials, or the court agreement. Seems to me that you would get LESS money not more if you want them to take all of that into account. </p>
<p>Any agreement made between your parents is something separate from what the financial aid process uses. Even if a parent signs an agreement saying he is not responsible for a dime of college costs, it doesn’t matter. If the school requires non custodial parent info the agreement means nothing, nada. They still put that parent on the hook. </p>
<p>In some cases, a parent who remarries may have prenuptial agreements, contracts, stipulating who pays for what, and college for one is not to be pai for by the other. Too bad. The colleges’ rules about step parents don’t care about any such agreements. Steps are on the hook. </p>
<p>Your mother or you may have to go after your father for the money in court to get it. That depends on your state’s laws and the divorce decree. But this is not the concern of the college. </p>
<p>You can ask the college for consideration for more, but your reason is not a good one at all. You’re just letting them know that you have another source of income out there which they have not taken into consideration.</p>
<p>I believe the school did use CSS and non custodial profile though. I’m not sure how much weight they gave it, since the EFC from FAFSA is pretty much actually what i’m left with after the package they gave me. That would seem to imply that they don’t expect any money, from non custodial parent, no? Unless its just one heck of a coincidence…</p>
<p>But yeah, what you guys have said is what I figured. Just wanted to make sure though, thanks.</p>
<p>You can ask for consideration and explain your father’s predicament, but I don’t think mentioning the court agreement is a wise idea. CSS PROFILE questions go after every single possibility of getting more money. That there is an contract for some money around might be of great interest to them. But getting the money is your problem, not the school’s.</p>
<p>If your father makes much less money than your mother and stepfather, and he’s already paying two other children’s college expenses, it’s possible that the PROFILE calculation allocated a very small number towards his portion of your EFC. PROFILE colleges that ask for the non-custodial parent’s financial information typically won’t tell you how they calculate each parent’s contribution, but you can always ask. Or at least check to confirm that your father’s PROFILE took into account 2 other kids in college.</p>
<p>But it’s true what the other posters are telling you; divorce settlement agreements are not relevant when colleges compute financial aid.</p>
<p>Nor are financial aid computations and allocation relevant to previously made divorce agreements. Your mother and you are going to have to decide whether it is worth it to go to court and try to force your father to pay up.</p>
<p>Your parents (dad particularly) was ill-advised by his atty to sign such an agreement which includes pricey privates. Often such agreements are limited to splitting costs of an instate public. The atty also must have ignored the fact that your mom might remarry and have an income that could have resulted in no aid at all. </p>
<p>It would be cruel to legally force your dad to be financially obligated to pay for a school that you full well know that he can’t afford. Doing so would simply cause a wedge between you and him (and spouse) for the rest of your lives.</p>
<p>*Both ended up remarrying - I live primary with stepdad + mom, so they were the one’s whose combined income (100K+) ended up being used for FAFSA. That got me an EFC of about $33 thousand.</p>
<p>My top choice school is estimated at about $58 thousand for the year. I got a package (scholarships, loans, work study) from them for about 24 thousand - which brings it right about to that $33 thousand number.*</p>
<p>*I believe the school did use CSS and non custodial profile though. *</p>
<p>From what you wrote, it sounds like this is a CSS profile school using NCP info, then your mom’s FAFSA EFC isn’t relevant. The school looked at the two families’ incomes and came up with a big family contribution. The family contribution would have been higher, but it appears that the school did calculate your dad’s other (step)kids who are in college. It’s likely just a coincidence that the amount is similar to the FAFSA EFC…again, likely because the school didn’t expect much from your dad since there are other kids in college in his household.</p>
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<p>Okay, this is clearly not the solution here. The OP has made it clear that Dad simply does not have the resources to make that kind of payment. It doesn’t matter what their agreement says - if the money isn’t there, it’s unenforceable. There are, however, a number of possible compromises:</p>
<p>(1) If Mom agrees to front part of Dad’s share now, Dad could pay her back over time . . . on a timetable that’s feasible for him. (Advantage: although it takes time, he eventually satisfies the terms of their agreement.)</p>
<p>(2) Mom could agree to adjust their relative shares of the college financing burden to take into account their different financial circumstances.</p>
<p>(3) If OP and Mom are willing, OP could take out a private loan (cosigned by Mom) to cover a portion of Dad’s obligation. Dad, if he is able, could later help the OP to make those payments.</p>
<p>I’m sure there are other options that I’m just not thinking of - those are just the first three that came to mind.</p>
<p>I’m not saying the OP should attend a college he can’t afford . . . but there are three separate people here with an interest in the OP being able to attend this school (Mom, Dad, and the OP), and between the three of them, they might be able to come up with a solution. But only if they work together - and not against each other.</p>
<p>I am not sure what the basis of the appeal would be. An EFC of $33k on a $100k+ income is expected. The school met need as calculated. You can try, because it never hurts to try.</p>
<p>^^^</p>
<p>This is true. The school is likely going to say that they’re not expecting much from the dad (per the calculation) and that nearly all/all of the family contribution is based on the mom’s family’s income/assets. The school isn’t going to care that the dad is supposed to pay half. </p>
<p>If I were the dad, I’d try to get something from the school breaking down the two families’ contribution (some schools will do this). It sounds like the school would split the cost 90/10 or so. Then if push came to shove and the mom tried to take the dad to court, use that breakdown in hopes that the court throws out that agreement. </p>
<p>I still don’t understand why the dad’s lawyer (or the mom’s) didn’t use any foresight when coming up with this agreement. It was very short-sighted. What if the dad were unemployed? Disabled? Underemployed? What if the mom had married a millionaire? This agreement is odd if it doesn’t have any limitations, such as cost of an instate public.</p>
<p>For younger students who might be reading this thread. Back in 2012 when the OP was looking for safeties, he was asked about affordability and the question was dismissed as not being a concern. </p>
<p>Now, his mom and SD are going to be faced with the likelihood of covering most/all of the family contribution. If they do so, then fine. But, if they insist that they should only pay half, then the student is going to be about $16k short. If that becomes the case, a good financial safety would have come in handy.</p>
<p>I would suggest sitting down with the divorce paperwork, and reading the language very, very carefully. Did Dad agree to half of the full cost of any college or university? Did he agree to tuition only? Even if the published COA is $X, it is entirely possible that the student’s final costs will be $X+Y or $X-Z.</p>
<p>These people need to sit down together and talk about what they will do. The situation has the potential to be very ugly if the parties involved choose to let it be so. It also has the potential to go the other way if good will can prevail.</p>
<p>Perhaps a gap year is in order in which the student spends exactly one day more with dad than with mom so as to change the dependency situation for financial aid.</p>
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<p>Again, the language of the agreement makes no difference if Dad can’t afford to pay his share. So obsessing over the divorce decree is just not going to help at this point. This family needs, as happymom1 says, to sit down together and figure out a solution.</p>
<p>I guess I wasn’t clear. I’m thinking that Dad may not have agreed to pay half of the full COA after aid for whichever place the child chooses. Dad may have agreed to half of the state U after aid, or only to half of tuition and fees after aid. A cheaper school might have meant that dad’s share would be still unaffordable, but to the tune of $10k rather than $16k.</p>
<p>Thanks for all the advice guys!</p>
<p>Oh, and @mom2collegekids: I do have a safety school that I’m perfectly happy going to - my state school, Umass A. Honors college for comp. engineering w/2k year renewable scholarship. Mom/Stepdad already said they will cover full cost for it if they have to. </p>
<p>The school in question in this post is my #1 choice, but obviously i’m not going to go there if it requires massive loans when I can go to my safety for about half the cost.</p>