I have a few questions on the CSS form. Thanks in advance for any feedback!
Is the CSS form available to complete before October 1?
Does the CSS form have to be sent to all schools by 10/15? What if my child hasn’t even applied by 10/15?
Can the CSS form be filled out once and then sent to multiple colleges?
Why is it necessary to fill out a FASFA and a CSS?
I will take a stab at this. Experts can correct me if I get anything wrong.
The CSS Profile form for 24-25 is not available until October 1.
It does not need to be sent to all schools by 10/15, but it is in your best interest to send it as early as possible to the schools that you know you are applying to.
Yes, you only fill it out once, and fill in the colleges that you want it sent to. You can always go back in and add colleges if needed. (There is a fee for each school.)
Some schools only require the FAFSA. Others, typically more selective, want the CSS Profile because they collect more information before determining aid, and it is more detailed. So essentially, all schools require FAFSA if you want to be considered for aid. Then some require CSS on top of it.
You will also (most likely) have to upload documents when you complete the CSS Profile. Usually 1040 and W-2s. I feel like I’ve uploaded something else before as well, but I can’t remember what it was. I hope this helped!
I have a few questions on the CSS form. Thanks in advance for any feedback!
Is the CSS form available to complete before October 1?
I don’t believe the Profile for this year will be available until October 1
Does the CSS form have to be sent to all schools by 10/15? What if my child hasn’t even applied by 10/15?
you need to read each of your college websites for the deadlines for submissions for ALL materials both financial aid and admissions. Adhere to the deadlines on each college site. And they will vary.
Can the CSS form be filled out once and then sent to multiple colleges?
yes
Why is it necessary to fill out a FASFA and a CSS?
it is only necessary to complete these if your college requires for consideration for need based financial aid. The FAFSA and Profile collect information about your family finances.
The FAFSA is largely used to determine eligibility for federally funded aid like the Pell Grant and things like federal work study. If your student wants to take out a federally funded Direct Loan, they must complete a FAFSA.
Some colleges also require the CSS Profile or their own financial aid form for consideration for institutional need based aid. The Profile goes into greater depth regarding your finances. If your student is applying for need based aid at a college that requires this…you must complete it for consideration for need based aid.
in all cases…you must provide all of the information requested for need based financial aid consideration ON TIME or your student won’t be considered for need based aid at all, because you will have an incomplete application for aid consideration.
Many colleges using the Profile also use IDOC. This is where you upload any documents the college requests be uploaded.
When you do the FAFSA, it’s best to link to the IRS Data Retrieval Tool which then imports the correct income/tax information from your tax return for the year of your FAFSA form.
We are ready to fill out CSS, but my student is still deciding between 2 schools to ED. Can she make a correction? Can she change RD to ED?
She can submit the Profile to any number of schools. She can even submit to schools she eventually doesn’t apply to.
But they ask you to say if you are applying RD or ED up front on the CSS form online. So I am wondering if she just puts RD and then switches it once she decides.
I just filled it in a couple of weeks ago and I don’t remember that? Mainly because D24 hasn’t decided so I feel it would have stuck out.
I would just click RD and go in and edit it once she decides.
I have a question on the CSS, we won’t qualify for need-base aid but we are chasing merit scholarship. I’ve been doing some research and seems like we don’t need to fill out CSS, just FAFSA is enough, anyone had experience on this? Thanks!
There are a couple of schools that do require a FAFSA for merit scholarships. But the vast majority don’t require either FAFSA or CSS. So you should be fine.
@ckd ypu will need to check each college website to see if they require what financial aid forms even for merit aid consideration. There are some schools that do require the profile and FAFSA for incoming freshmen for those seeking merit aid as well as need based aid. Not very many, but they are out there. So check each college of interest for accurate info.
Thank you for the reply, I’ll check school websites.