<p>The matter is that I’m at odds with my mother (for a really long time, like a decade maybe), and I don’t know a thing about whereabouts of my father (parents are divorced). I could be considered independent student because of age, but the problem is that US colleges, as far as I know, consider all international students dependent for the purposes of determining financial aid.
Theoretically I could find the counselor from my former school, and she would write a statement about estrangement, tough relationships, etc. between me and my mother, but it’s troublesome to do so because I also have no idea of her (the counselor) whereabouts and didn’t see her for years. Is there any way to omit all the sections in CSS Profile that is implied to be filled by parents? My mother anyway neither speak English nor would agree to fill any forms for me.
Also, how am I supposed to make my father fill the noncustodial profile if I don’t know where is he (also haven’t heard from him for years)?</p>
<p>If you have no contact with either parent, were you under someone’s guardianship (grandmother, legal guardian…)?<em>they</em> would fill out the form. If you’re over 24 and an independent, regardless of how it’ll be considered for the purpose of financial aid, then you need to contact the school and ask about that situation (ie, 24, no parents.)</p>
<p>You’ll have to ask the colleges you are applying to directly which information and documents they want from you. Some colleges do want parental information for independent students, others do not. Even those colleges that ‘normally’ want parental information for students of your age can make exceptions to their policy for special circumstances. If you are appealing for an exception, be prepared to provide documentation that you are as estranged from your parents as you say you are. That doesn’t necessarily have to come from your old school counselor. Is there another credible third party (e.g. a priest or a social worker) who knows about your relationship with your parents?</p>
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The sections are about your parents, but they don’t need to be answered by your parents personally. It wouldn’t be unusual for the student applicant to handle all of the paperwork and just ask their parents for the necessary information, especially among international students whose parents may not speak English. Just wanted to mention that so that you don’t write to colleges saying “but my parents don’t speak English.”</p>
<p>But MYOS1634 brought up a good point: if you were ever formally in foster care, had a legal guardian other than your parents or were declared an emancipated minor by a court, you might get out of providing your parents’ information on that basis. (I also have to disagree with MYOS1634: legal guardians are not financially responsible for your college education and their info should not go into your financial aid application.)</p>
<p>Yes sorry I didn’t mean to say the legal guardian would be responsible but if a student was in legal guardianship they’re automatically counted as an independent (as well as someone who was Ward of the State.)
But if you don’t have knowledge or contact with parents you have to be able to prove that.</p>
<p>If you are at least 24 years old, you almost certainly would be considered to be an independent student. But do double-check that with each college/university on your list.</p>
<p>If you are not yet 24, and you would like to be considered independent for financial aid purposes, then contact each college/university on your list and ask what is required for a waiver.</p>
<p>In any case, you won’t get your student visa if the visa officer who interviews you doesn’t believe that you can afford the cost of your studies in the US. So do make certain that you have at least one affordable option somewhere in case you receive no aid from the places that you do apply to.</p>
<p>^ Independent for FAFSA (which does not apply to international students anyway) but not necessarily independent for institutional aid purposes. OP would have to check with all colleges directly.</p>
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Give please some examples of what will be good proof of the fact that I don’t know where my father is. I know where my mother, but I don’t want to contact her because we’re at odds like I mentioned above.</p>
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I’m above 24 and I asked one college am I considered independent; they said that I should ask a relaible third party (clergy, counselor, or someone like that) to write a statement about presence of alienation, estrangement, physical or mental abuse precedent from the side of my parents. It’s just one college of my choice; I’ll ask another too, but I guess that for institutional purposes they will consider me dependent. Damn.</p>
<p>Stop speculating about this. Contact each place on your list and ask them if they consider you to be independent.</p>
<p>If they don’t, then ask if a waiver is possible.</p>
<p>Yes, you do have to ask each of them separately. They set their own policies about this.</p>