<p>"Is the college authorized to discuss the family's information with the student or to release the family's information to financial aid agencies and scholarship donors providing aid to the student? As part of this release, is the college authorized to release to the student upon
request any form containing parental financial information (including the parents' tax form(s))? SQ-779
Columbia University"</p>
<p>A flag goes up when I think about authorizing a school to release my financial records to outside parties. Am I not already doing that by filling out the CSS/FAFSA? I would really appreciate some advice as to how others interpret this request. Thanks.</p>
<p>I don’t know. But if you don’t toe the line on these danged things, you have no chance of getting money from those schools that require them for any aid. I don’t like giving out info for mortgages, and other creidit situations either. But there is little choice if one wants the goodies that come only iwth approval of the required app.</p>
<p>Not just one flag goes up, the whole danged Grand Prix banners are flying around in these processes.</p>
<p>Good point, I’ll give it more thought. Thanks!</p>
<p>Mavereck…where is that quote from? The schools that use the CSS Profile are doing so to consider you for THEIR institutional need based aid. If the schools require the form, you are required to compete it. Of course, you don’t have to.</p>
<p>My understanding is that these forms are used ONLY by the university where you submit the forms. They don’t “share” this information with outside agencies, or others.</p>
<p>Your student is actually the one submitting the Profile. Are you asking if the student can have access to this information? I don’t know about the Profile, but I do know that any student completing a FAFSA has a PIN number of their own, and does have access to the FAFSA online through the FAFSA website.</p>
<p>The quote is one of the supplemental questions from the CSS application. It is being asked by Columbia University and only Columbia University. I understand what your saying about THEIR institutional based aid, but I took the quote to mean they could share my information with anyone else (including outside their institution) at their discretion. That’s the part I am a little hesitant over. However, as cptofthehouse pointed out, now may not be the time to be squeamish… Thanks.</p>
<p>If it was an opened ended question, I would answer yes to the discuss part and no to the sharing part - or if you’ve got room for more space you could say no to the sharing part unless notified first. If it was yes/no I’d probably say no.</p>