<p>I neglected to find out the deadline for the CSS profile of a private liberal arts college I applied too, so I sent it in about 12 days late! Aaahh! The financial aid office emailed me and notified me that they hadn't received it, but said I could still send it within the next few days (which I promptly did). How much will this affect my chances at financial aid? I applied early action as opposed to RD, so I thought maybe this would have an affect (since more money available). I heard the CSS is 1st come 1st serve- is this true? I know that the FAFSA is, but not sure about the CSS. I sent the FAFSA to this school shortly after the release date. Financial aid is really important to my family, so I'm quite stressed!</p>
<p>Thanks to anyone who can help.</p>
<p>Fafsa is not first come first serve. CSS is a different story it is based on deadlines and it’s the money the school gives you. All,Fafsa does it set your contribution amount and qualify you for loans. Whether you do it first day or in February it’s the same since it’s loans not grants from Fafsa.</p>
<p>Also certain federal money is determined by Fafsa but again it’s federal so it’s not first come.</p>
<p>Profile is just an application that collects financial information. How each school uses the info collected is up to them. Whether missing a deadline by a few days will matter depends on the school. No one here is going to be able to say for sure for your particular school.</p>
<p>For fafsa, if you qualify for a Pell Grant you will get it, they aren’t first come first served. Each school gets a certain amount of funds for work-study, SEOG grants and Perkins loans that has to be allocated among the students who qualify. There may not be enough for all qualified students. How a school allocates those limited funds can vary but filing early is generally thought to help your chances.</p>
<p>FAFSA is first come, first serve.</p>
<p>While a Pell grant isn’t, the rest of fed aid that she might get (other than Direct Stafford loans) is definitely first come, first serve.</p>
<p>Schools run out of:</p>
<p>Perkins loans
SEOG grants
Work Study</p>
<p>And, if a school uses FAFSA to determine any institutional aid, then that would also be a first come, first serve situation.</p>
<p>So, yes, it is first come, first serve.</p>
<p>For those schools that have limited pools of money, it’s first come first serve. How a school apportions it financial aid can be an individula process, so it’s difficult to say for sure how timing plays in the process .Many schools have a priority deadline, and all those who get their fin aid papers in by that date might get some guarantee of funding, which those who file later do not have. But schools have dfferent ways that they tackle the financial aid appications. Some won’t start without all paperwork in hand. SOme PROFILE schools will start as soon as they have the preliminary PROFILE tweeking the awards when the FAFSA and other verification is made. So it does depend upon the school, but the basic rule is that the sooner you have those forms done, the more options are available to you. </p>
<p>I know several kids over the years who lost out on some awards that someone else got that they knew, someone in some cases not as “hot” of a prospect, but they got their fin aid in earlier, and they got a better package, and the college financial aid office out and out said so. Once SEOG is gone, it’s gone. The same with Perkisn and Work Study. Also so are designated awards a college has. They give to the apps that are in hand first and when those funds are depleted those processed thereafter don’t get a crack at that money.</p>
<p>Thanks for the answers guys. I’m still a bit confused by the mixed responses, but I’m assuming that the CSS policy is just dependent on the school…</p>