Hello CC!
I am an international student and I have applied to a few universities in the US. I am confused while filling the CSS profile for financial aid. You might find this question pretty unusual, is it possible for me to make two different CSS profiles with different EFC, one for top notch unis and colleges where my parents are willing to contribute more(so that i have a better chance of admission) and the other for safety schools and mid tier colleges?
You need to be HONEST…and it sounds like you don’t plan to be.
The income reported on your Profile…needs to be the same…the actual income from 2015.
You can’t change that and put different amounts on different forms. I’m not even sure you can start a second account.
Doing this would be unethical and would constitute financial aid fraud, if it were even possible. The numbers are the numbers, no matter which school you are applying to.
Good grief.
Omg. for you to do this would mean that on the reach schools’ CSS profile, you would be putting higher income or including more of their real assets.
Sounds like for lesser schools you’re going to hide assets or income.
Frankly, I don’t think you can even do two different CSS Profiles, but if that’s possible, you’re committing fraud with that plan
Colleges severely frown on dishonesty. You are planning to be dishonest on part of your application process…the part for financial aid.
As noted…it is considered fraud to put inaccurate information on the financial aid forms.
I thought the OP was talking about inputting a larger amount that his parents would be willing to pay, and not falsifying income/assets.
Well…the OP wants to indicate that his family contribution would be larger. The family contribution is based primarily on family income. The only way for this to be different is for the income tombe reported differently…aand that would be fraud.
To,the OP…YOU don’t get to decide your family contribution anyway. This is determined by the colleges to which you submit the Profile.
One Profile…same income info. Sorry…that can’t be changed from school to school.
That wouldn’t change the EFC. OP was talking about making “two different CSS profiles with different EFC.”
Ahhh, right. Fraud.
You can not apply for FA at some schools by not submitting the CSS. That would mean that your parents would pay everything at those schools.
That question that asks what your parent will contribute doesn’t really mean all that much. The schools are going to calculate what they thing you should pay, and won’t depend on your calculation.
Errrmm, most of you didn’t get the question. I was only talking about the question where it asks what your parents contribute which twoinanddone answered. The numbers I’d put in would be legit.
Then I think you’re misunderstanding the effect that information will have on your EFC. Most colleges don’t care how much families think they can pay. They have their own formulas for calculating family contributions. Unless you’re full pay, I don’t think that number matters much.
ohh, ok thanks.
And I can’t find any financial aid calculator for international students like there is for US citizens, is there any ?
Which schools?
The net price calculators are not unique to international students. But they also won’t be particularly accurate for international students.
The admissions department is NOT going to read that ONE question on the Profile if the school is need aware for admissions. All the admissions department will know is what your calculated financial need is at that school. That calculated need is what matters at need aware schools.
My opinion…you thinkmthat one question means WAYYYYYY more than it means. It actually is not used…at all…to,determine financial aid awards…or need.
Think of it this way…students who think they will have an admissions edge might put that they can be full pay in that question when in fact, they can’t pay anything. Does that make sense to you?
Your need based aid will be determined by your parent income…and assets…NOT by the amount you SAY you can pay per year.
middlebury, grinnell, colby, columbia , cornell, colgate.