<p>Ok, so I haven't submitted my FAFSA yet. My parents and I are still trying to get our taxes donel. It seems like everyone on here already has thier FAFSA all done. Does anyone know when people usually do them? Also, is the CSS required or only for some schools?</p>
<p>you can file fafsa without fling your taxes.</p>
<p>i always file my fafsa on by Jan 5th, then add my tax information once its done.</p>
<p>Do the AFFSA now, estimate and put that you will file, then update to fix the numbers. Many schools have Jan-Feb deadlines for the initial FAFSA and you do not want to lose your priority for any grants etc.</p>
<p>So I'm new at this. If a school's Fafsa deadline is March 2, they just mean the estimated version? We won't even be getting some mutual fund info until mid-March. How does this timing work-- My son is applying mostly to UCs. When they give decisions in March, do they just give estimated need aid amounts? If so, I guess you just have to get final Fafsa version submitted in time for them to get you your final aid numbers before you have to make a school selection May 1?</p>
<p>Right-- the March 2 UC deadline is for your initial FAFSA using estimated income numbers. Meet the deadline, and the schools have an estimated EFC to work with. Then each school your son is accepted to will provide provide a provisional EFAN-- a provisional financial aid award based on your estimated EFC. You use those estimates to help you decide in a timely fashion which school son will go to. In our experience, the various UC financial aid packages differed significantly in terms of % grants, loans, and work study. All met 100% of need, though.</p>
<p>Then after taxes are done, you go back in and do a FAFSA correction online, and your EFC changes. The schools get the corrected EFC, and they revise and finalize your financial aid packages to reflect the new need. Then you go onto the school's financial aid website and accept or reject each component of the financial aid package.</p>