<p>Boy, am I confused.<br>
On the FAFSA Institutional Methodology, we qualify for the Simplified Needs Test.
Does the CSS profile also have the SNT, or does it always count assets?
Thanks for your help!!</p>
<p>No. The simplified needs test and the automatic 0 EFC are just for FAFSA. </p>
<p>Schools that use both FAFSA and CSS will generally use FAFSA for determining federal aid so if you qualify for simplified needs or Auto 0 that may help you with federal aid. But they will use CSS for institutional aid and assets ignored, or not even reported, on FAFSA may be taken into consideration. Each school will have their own policy for how they treat assets for institutional aid. </p>
<p>There is no FAFSA institutional methodology that I am ware of. FAFSA is federal.</p>
<p>Thanks, SCMom:
So what does it mean, on the College Board site calculator, when you select the "institutional methodology’ on the calculator? I did that, and it still gives me the simplified needs results.
Still confused…</p>
<p>Is there a css calculator, similar to the fafsa one?</p>
<p>I’m not sure a CSS calculator would do you any good. Each school takes assets into account differently. I would check to see if there is one on the site of your school.</p>
<p>The institutional methodology part of the online calculators gives you an ESTIMATE of aid at schools that award institutional funds.</p>
<p>The federal methodology will give you an estimate only of federally funded need based aid.</p>
<p>BOTH ARE ESTIMATES.</p>
<p>Some colleges have online finaid calculators…if your school has one of those, use it.</p>