GENERAL ADVICE FOR COMPLETING FORMS (continued)
STUDENTS OF DIVORCED/SEPARATED PARENTS Divorced and separated parents as well as those families with especially complicated circum- stances will find the financial aid process more complex. In these situations, the financial aid offices at different colleges may make different/independent financial aid award decisions based on “professional judgment.” The college counselors will be glad to talk with you about this in more detail. NON-CUSTODIAL PARENT WAIVER REQUEST In some family circumstances, the non-custodial parent has not been part of the student’s life or a means of financial support for a long time. In such cases, when the non-custodial parent is essentially gone from the student’s life, the family may submit a non-custodial parent waiver request. The College Office usually writes such a letter. Please consult your counselor if you think a non-custodial parent waiver letter will be needed. INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS International students applying for aid at American colleges are not eligible for any US Government awards, and, as a result, find themselves in a much more competitive situation. Only a limited group of colleges award aid to international students. We will do our best to help international students identify these resources. You will need to work very closely with our office if you need financial aid as an international student. HOW THE FINANCIAL AID PROCESS WORKS Soon after receiving your letters of acceptance from the colleges, you’ll begin to receive financial aid award letters from colleges to which you have applied for financial aid (if you’ve gotten your materials in on time!). The award letters will describe the financial aid package a school is offering you. If you are considering more than one college, wait until you have received a letter from each one before you make a decision. Each award letter will include the deadline for accepting your financial aid package because it can be different for each school. If you miss a deadline, your financial aid package could be offered to another student. On the other hand, don’t let yourself be pressured into making an immediate decision. If necessary, ask the financial aid administrator to extend the deadline for your financial aid offer — in some cases, colleges are happy to do so. An extension might be granted when one college’s award package is delayed or will be received after another college’s deadline. The College Office will be glad to help you sort out these deadlines and requests. If you have questions about your financial aid award or if the financial aid package does not meet your needs, call the college and ask to speak with a financial aid administrator. Don’t panic or get angry; be polite. Financial aid officers are usually very helpful. Review any special circumstances you feel may have been overlooked. It is possible that the financial aid
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