CSS Profile has a question asking how much our parents can pay for college. Should we write down as low a number as we realistically can or will it be a disadvantage?
Use a realistic number. How much can your patents pay? What schools did you apply to? Are you a US citizen?
Note that the instructions for this question tell you to put down how much the parents “plan to pay” as opposed to how much the parents are “able to pay,” as the question asks, which can be two very different things. I have been advised by CSS that the correct amount to put down is how much the parents plan to pay.
I’m a US Citizen but live abroad. I belong to a fairly well-off family so we can pay close to full tuition, even for private universities. But obviously, no one wants to pay 60k per year if they can pay less. And if I put in a large number, I might get none. So I was advised to put in a lower number like 40k, because that is what my parents consider reasonable. I’ve applied to a few very selective universities: NYU(Poly), USC, CMU, UW Madison, GaTech and a couple less selective ones where I’ve been accepted.
It’s not going to matter. Your FAFSA and CSS profile are going to indicate that your parents have a high income.
You also have OOS publics…they’re going to expect your family to pay.
Yeah - UW-Madison only uses FAFSA and you will be full pay. But that is around $40k.
Realistically, if the school calculates that you have low need they won’t care that much if you only ‘plan’ to pay $4.99 a year for college. Merit aid opportunities will be available to you but schools are unlikely to make up a shortfall that exists solely because you would prefer not to pay the full price. I would put down a reasonable number but I wouldn’t expect / rely on that number if you EFC or other need calculation is wildly different.
Is it plan to pay or able to pay? Or is this a distinction without a difference? Lehigh has posted the Profile form, and CSS/Financial Aid Profile Early Application 2014-2015 Profile, line 38: “Amount the student’s parent(s) think they will be able to pay for the student’s 2014-15 college expenses.” What is the reference for the “plan to pay” language?
It won’t hurt you to put a low number - they’ll just ignore it and charge you more if they think your family can afford it. But it could hurt you to put a high number. If the school calculates that you can only pay 50k, and you state in your CSS Profile that you can pay $60k, the school is going to expect the full 60k.
Thank you 