<p>In completing the CSS Profile I made an error on question 175 - it asks for the amount of untaxed pensions, 401K, annuities, etc. and I entered an amount that is WRONG and TOO HIGH by 20K+</p>
<p>Will this make a difference?</p>
<p>I don't know how the information is used, and the profile has already been submitted to all the schools.</p>
<p>Do I need to call each one and explain my error?</p>
<p>Thanks for any wisdom out there!</p>
<p>(I do have documentation of the accurate figure, plus previous years Profile have been correct - although for a different student at different school....)</p>
<p>I don’t know for CSS, but for FAFSA the untaxed pension contributions are added back to the AGI in the EFC formula. This makes the income used for calculating the EFC higher and therefore makes the EFC higher. I am guessing this would be the same for CSS. So, I would think it will definitely make a difference. You probably need to contact the schools and ask what to do. I would think mailing them the corrected info would be better than doing it by phone.</p>
<p>That’s how it’s been in past years, Puma. I haven’t done it for 2011-12 yet.</p>
<p>I finally figured out last year to copy and the whole thing and paste it into a Word document. I haven’t needed to print it out, but if I wanted to, at least I could.</p>
<p>Actually you can see it on the PROFILE/Collegeboard website. Here’s how you do it. Login and click on ‘Check Status of Application’. Somewhere after you see the list of colleges you submitted the profile to, you will see a link called ‘Acknowledgment’. Click on it and you will see all the data you submitted.</p>
<p>The amounts CONTRIBUTED to your retirement accounts in 2010 are added back in as income on the FAFSA. The balances IN those accounts are not reported on the FAFSA at all.</p>
<p>On your Profile, was this a supplemental question about the balances IN your retirement accounts, or was this the question about the contributions made TO those accounts in 2010?</p>
<p>Regardless…the only way to make a change on the Profile is to contact the college and ask them their procedure for making this change. They will tell you what to do. You aren’t the first person who has needed to make a change to the Profile.</p>
<p>Thumper - this was not a supplemental question. It is under “Parent Data” question 175. It states: “Enter the total current amount of this parent’s tax-deferred retirement, pension, annuity, and savings plans. Include IRA, SRA Keogh, SEP, 401(a), 401(k), 403(b), 408, 457, 501(c) plans, etc.”</p>
<p>I entered a completely wrong number and I have no idea how I made such a big mistake.</p>
<p>My big fear is that the schools I call won’t believe me or won’t really change it. This is really stressing me out!</p>
<p>My plan is to call the one school it was submitted to where the financial aid folks actually know us (and have our prior years of Profile - so they can see it’s a mistake) and ask them (1) is this a big deal? and (2) how do I get schools to believe me that it was just dumb error?</p>
<p>Just fyi - we have NO contributions, as we can’t afford it!!</p>