I don't have a non-custodial guardian, but my mother is a single parent. What do I do?

Paying for College
1

I am a student applying Early Decision II for an undergraduate program in Film and Television at NYU, and I am in a bit of a pickle. In 1997, the year I was born, my mother was with another woman, but who was here illegally from another country. They lived together for several years and decided to have a child via a sperm donor.

My mother is technically a single parent, so I have no one who I can legally put down as a non-custodial guardian. I put the other woman down on my Common Application, but she is not my legal guardian. I most likely made a mistake but I found that there was no way to turn in my Common Application without filling something out for a second Parent.

It’s due tomorrow and I have no idea what I’m supposed to do. Thanks for your help!

2

If you listed your parent as single, the application would not have wanted a second parent listed.

Are you talking about completing the Profile? If so, list your mom as single. You may need to call the college to,get info on how to complete the form.

can your mom pay for you to attend NYU? If not, I would strongly suggest you reconsider your ED application, as this school is notoriously stingy with need based aid…and does not guarantee to meet full need for all accepted students.

Apply regular decision so you can compare financial aid, and net costs.

3

Your mother is a single parent, so it should not ask for a second parent. It’s not uncommon at all for students to have have an unknown father.

4

I think you need to ask for a waiver for the NCP, and then on the waiver fill in that you were conceived through a sperm donation and therefore have no legal second parent. The schools are more used to receiving this than they were a few years ago (or for students who have one parent through single parent adoption). If your birth certificate shows this, the school may not need any additional information.

5

If it requires, enter “unknown” and explain later.

6

Have your pediatrician (or your mom’s ob-gyn) write the non-custodial waiver letter as a neutral third party as they can explain first hand the circumstances surrounding your birth. as @twoinanddone stated, you will also send in a copy of your birth certificate. You can also get your GC write the 3rd party non custodial waiver if s/he is familiar with your situation

I would also not recommend you applying to NYU ED (because they do not meet 100% demonstrated need (unless you are admitted through HEOP). You could find yourself with a big financial gap making the school unaffordable.

Did you sit with your mom and run the net price calculator? Is she comfortable with what she may have to pay?

7

Let’s hope Jayme and his mom have done that.