If your biological parents are divorced or separated, or were never married to each other, then your noncustodial parent will need to file the CSS Noncustodial Profile (NCP) as part of your financial aid application. The NCP is an online application used to assess a noncustodial parent’s ability to contribute toward college expenses. Recognizing the sensitivity of financial circumstances, strict confidentiality between each parent’s information is maintained.
- When you complete the CSS Profile, you should report ALL parents. This means both biological or adoptive parents (whether they are together or not), parents who are deceased, and the spouses or partners of living parents.
- You will report each of their relationship to you, and which parents the student lives with, or from whom you receive the greater support.
- This information will be used as we determine which parent will complete the CSS Profile with you and which should file the NCP.
- Your noncustodial parent can log in to the CSS Profile and begin the NCP at any time, but they may only submit it once you (the student) have selected a school that requires the NCP.
- In special circumstances, the NCP Profile can be waived. These are often cases of abuse, abandonment, estrangement, or incarceration. Please contact our office for more information about the NCP Profile waiver process.
Determining the Custodial Parent (Parent of Record)
The custodial parent (now called the Parent of Record) is defined as the biological/adoptive parent who provided more financial support in the 12 months prior to applying for aid, per federal regulations and Syracuse University policy.
Review this flowchart[PDF] to determine who should be listed as your Parent of Record.
In determining custodial parent (parent of record) status, it does not matter which parent claims the student as an exemption for tax purposes.