<p>So I understand that in many colleges the institutional method of calculating financial aid takes into account the noncustodial parent’s income, but there are exceptions. My parents divorced when I was about 2/3 years old in an Asian country. My mom and I moved to America soon afterwards. He has no custody and doesn’t pay child support, however the two times I’ve visited him he paid for hotels/ some travel expenses. Would this be an exception situation?</p>
<p>You would have to consult the colleges directly. Certain federal aid you might be eligible for is computed by the FAFSA numbers, which will not include your father’s income. This includes Pell grants & ACG/SMART grants. Institutional funding & eligibility for federal loans/work study will be determined by the institution if they are a Profile school. Make sure you apply to some FAFSA-only schools if you need aid … there are plenty of good schools (public & private) that use just the FAFSA.</p>
<p>So you don’t this one of those situations where I could get a waiver?</p>
<p>Waivers would vary by school. Some schools will not care about the circumstances surrounding your father…others will want documentation proving your situation and then discard the requirement to submit his financial information. As kelsmom recommended: contact the FA offices directly and state your case…worse case scenario is that they will require the information. The sooner you know, the sooner you can determine whether you can REALLY afford to attend that institution.</p>