<p>Oh! I can't believe it! I was completely shocked to find out that I have to file a CSS Form for BC. I hadn't known the form existed (even though I visited the cite multiple times). As soon as I found out, I called the Admissions Office and they told me to send the Form as possible, but that now I'm at the back of the line. I feel so terrible. I probably will not get that much money. I don't know what to do!</p>
<p>There’s nothing you can do but submit it as soon as possible.</p>
<p>I have a question, though. You are not the only student to post here when they realize they needed to submit the Profile (or some other financial aid form) until after the deadline. It actually happens every day around this time of year.</p>
<p>So how is it that you didn’t know what was required to apply for aid? Did you just hear about the FAFSA, but not the Profile, from friends, family, teachers or counselors at your high school?</p>
<p>I know when my kids were applying to colleges and needing aid, I was all over the websites of the colleges’ financial aid offices. What did I need to do? What might be available? What kind of aid was typical at that college? What are the deadlines? How do I do this???</p>
<p>I realize students may have less of a framework, or less practical experience dealing with money and institutional processes… but what did you think getting financial aid involved? And once you thought you’d done what you needed, where did the idea of that being all you needed to do come from? Were your parents at all involved? Is financial aid a concern of theirs?</p>
<p>Colleges put all this information right there on their websites. Were you getting your information from somewhere else? Or did you only look at the admissions information online, but not the financial aid information? I want to understand how it works that so many students get caught off guard by this every year.</p>
<p>Well, the FASFA is the most stressed financial aid form. I was constantly told about it, so I knew I had to get it in. The CSS is not as commonly stressed (only a few colleges use it). If I was told before, I don’t remember and if I was told before it was probably only once or twice many months ago. </p>
<p>That said, my parent is not that involved in the financial aid process. She is very busy herself with work and school. I have visited the website multiple times, but I suppose I did not notice. Furthermore, maintaining good grades in these tough last years of high school has been my major concern and where most of my attention has been. If I do not do well, I could get my admission revoked. </p>
<p>I suppose it isn’t easy juggling college and high school material. It hasn’t been for me.</p>
<p>Thanks for taking a swing at that question. I wish there was some thing, some reminder or requirement or something early on in the process that could help students catch these things before they miss important deadlines.</p>
<p>It’s true that not many schools use the Profile, but almost all the private schools that give generous aid require it (or require a form of their own that is similiar to the Profile) in addition to the FAFSA. What would be your suggestion for how to alert students to make sure to check the websites of the colleges to which they’re applying and to pay careful attention to requirements and deadlines? What piece is missing in the information flow?</p>
<p>Your welcome. </p>
<p>The best thing to do, I think, would be to stress CSS Financial Aid as much as one would stress FAFSA, despite the fact that most colleges don’t use it. Then when students apply for the CSS Financial Aid, they will then learn whether or not they need it. I had no idea that the CSS existed until today. But people had been telling me about the FAFSA even before January 1. Therefore I remembered. It is probable that someone had told me about the CSS Financial Aid at most twice, but I don’t remember it (it’s obviously my fault). Repetition is necessary because the singleness of purpose just isn’t there. Students aren’t concerned only about getting into college. They are still in high school and they still have high school to worry about.</p>
<p>I volunteer at the high school here helping students with college and financial aid applications. Just today I found out that the school received 100+ applications for some scholarships that are given out only to graduates of this school, but there were two steps to applying for them. Once was to submit an online app, and the other was to bring in another piece of the application on paper, directly to the counseling office. The online part is a way to submit transcripts and essays and that sort of thing. The hardcopy piece actually specifies which of the available scholarships you want to be considered for – some are based on grades, some athletics, some art or music, community service, etc. Sadly, out of the 100+ applications, fewer than half of the students brought in the second part of the application before the deadline and so are out of luck.</p>
<p>I can’t tell you how often I heard counselors, teachers, volunteers tell students how it worked, and yet somehow it just didn’t sink in. We’ll look the process again for next year and see if there’s something else we can do. It’s disappointing to see the students fail to complete the process who might have been eligible for some funds.</p>
<p>I know from my son’s years in high school, the fafsa is talked about the most. Actually I brought up the CSS profile when a GC hadn’t hit on it at a FA talk for parents. He said, “yes that is for some private schools” and gave a short explanation. I suppose he was gearing this talk toward the publics and other privates, but I thought it was odd and he wasn’t very good not covering everything.
We were bombarded this year with flyers about aid from schools, I’m surprised BC didn’t send mail. (I think Mt. Holyoke did it weekly!) I realize though students don’t check the FA pages of college websites, they are more interested in the majors, dorms, etc.
I would call the school and do it ASAP. It’s not that much past the 03/1 deadline of many schools.
Things change yearly, I didn’t do the IDOC with my son, although some of his schools are using it now.</p>
<p>The HS my S’s attended did a poor job with the entire college thing, esp. financial aid. I went to their meeting. Profile was <em>never</em> mentioned. I was a major basket case when S1 was going through it all, and I would have been clueless without cc.</p>
<p>Our HS is completely focused on how to do paperwork for our state schools (um, the ap is 1.5 pages and takes 5 minutes…, no essay). I think they do a real disservice to students who might consider private or out-of-state schools.</p>