Noncustodial Parent Issue - Page 2

'rentof2 · 10-31-2009, 02:22 PM

You can certainly write about it in the Explanations Section, but if you're trying to get a NCP waiver there will be more involved. You can ask the FA aid office about it when you call, but often you'll need something like a court document citing failure to pay child support and other supporting materials, letters from outside sources. I have known kids who got the waiver without much difficulty at all, and not a bunch of other supporting documents (these were colleges other than Yale), so it will vary by school. Just so you are prepared, though, it's not uncommon for them to have some clear requirements to get the waiver.

A kid I know actually did get his father to fill out the NCP Profile information, although the dad was unwilling to contribute anything. This kid got a waiver *after* his dad's information was submitted. He got it from a top private national univ., and then got it again when he transferred to a top LAC. So it does happen, although his circumstances were quite clear; his father left a relationship with his mother before he was born, never paid child support (was never asked to), and although he'd helped out with a few large expenses for the kid over the years there was no ongoing contact. Never had been.

So it's usually going to be more involved than situations where there's family stress due to a divorce or limited contact that's primarily about hard feelings or unresolved emotional issues. Good luck though! If your dad doesn't have that much in income and assets to begin with (not sure what his situation is), it shouldn't affect your aid too badly anyway.

rockermcr · 10-31-2009, 02:28 PM

That makes sense. There are no formal court documents detailing my father's financial involvement in my life, but he hasn't been paying any alimony or child support.

What little contact I've had with him has led me to highly doubt he is in a stable financial situation, and even if he did fill out his forms, I don't think there would be any impact on my final financial aid package. It's just really the hassle of asking an extremely unreliable person to get something done by a specific date.

'rentof2 · 10-31-2009, 02:44 PM

Well, you sound like you're getting your ducks in a row, rockermcr. Hopefully you can get your dad to submit his info. If your dad is not making a decent income and doesn't own a lot of assets, you're right... the challenge is just to get him to send in the necessary info and documents. It won't have much effect, if any, on the FA you'd be eligible for.

Wherever you do end up going to school, if it's a Profile school, even assuming your dad gets his info in for this first year, I would at some point follow up with FA on requesting the waiver. It will save you going through this with you dad each year that you re-apply fo aid. If they see he's not able to contribute much of anything anyway, they'd probably give you the waiver for the subsequent years.

mom2collegekids · 10-31-2009, 03:07 PM

Good luck.

It's very unfortunate that kids have to be put thru all of this.

rockermcr · 11-02-2009, 06:52 PM

A quick update for those of you who are interested: I spoke with someone from Yale's Student Financial Services, and he told me that the simplest solution would be to just apply for a Noncustodial Profile waiver. He said to write a letter explaining the circumstances (no steady contact with my father since my parents' separation, no financial support, etc.) and that that should be okay. If they ultimately require further proof or documentation, they will contact me and ask for a third-party letter that would "vouch for" the one we initially sent in. He also said that problems like these are handled on a case-by-case basis, but he said that this most likely wouldn't jeopardize my financial aid package in any way.

Thanks for all the help, everyone!

'rentof2 · 11-02-2009, 06:58 PM

Thanks for the update. Good luck with the waiver, sounds like a helpful communication with Yale --- but especially GOOD LUCK with your admissions apps and may you have some wonderful choices to make for school next fall!

TrinSF · 11-02-2009, 07:04 PM

I was going to urge you to do exactly what you did -- talk to the financial aid office about a waiver. Many folks on CC try to be helpful by telling students that it's impossible to get a waiver, or that they cannot get one if they have a phone number, or they get child support, etc. The advice is well-meaning, but sometimes incorrect. Schools differ in their policy and each situation is unique, but it's certainly possible to qualify for a NCP waiver even if you get child support, even if you have contact info for the parent, even if you have in the past had a relationship with them. As you've discovered, the first thing to do is always to talk to the FA office, who are the best gauge for you about what will be needed.

I also always urge people to document these relationship situations in advance, and to take the step of talking to a teacher, counsellor, or third party about them. In our family's case, my children had always been private about their estrangement from their father. When my son applied to colleges, we were asked for third party letters vouching for the sitation and could not provide them because of how private my children had been about the situation. Thankfully, we found many financial aid offices to be very flexible about it.

applicannot · 11-02-2009, 07:15 PM

I think it really doesn't hurt to try a waiver form. The NCP PROFILE is in place to prevent people from divorcing to get a better financial aid package - and unfortunately, I feel like this would happen. I think it is really unfair to students like rockermc and even students like me (my biological father was basically a sperm donor), but I understand why the program is in place. I don't think colleges like Yale or other NCP PROFILE schools are really trying to penalize students - they're just trying to protect themselves.

rockermcr · 11-02-2009, 07:26 PM

Yeah, I was discussing this with my mom and we just couldn't rationalize that there wouldn't be any leeway with this type of thing. Not all cases are identical, and colleges have to realize that.

One (hopefully final) question: are there any restrictions when it comes to choosing a "third party?" Because my mom and I have a family friend who has been there for us through much of the problems we've had, and she knows everything about our situation and would be the perfect person to write a letter, if necessary. Would she be an okay person to choose?

'rentof2 · 11-02-2009, 08:26 PM

Again, it might be a good idea to ask the school you're requesting a waiver from if she'd be an appropriate person. My son's friend had someone just like your family friend write a letter for him and it worked out fine.

I've read on various college websites that they like to see a counselor or clergymember or that sort of thing, but I would definitely ask about the family friend. I agree that many times they are the perfect person.