When do you fill out the FAFSA and CSS Profile? Is it before, after, or part of the Common Application?
Each school will have a “no later than” date for financial aid documents. These dates may or may not match up with the Common Application due date. Check on each school’s website for the dates. Creating a spreadsheet to keep everything organized (and on time) may be helpful. Besides the due dates for the financial aid documents, there may be other considerations based on the family’s specific financial situation that inform the completion and submission dates for the FAFSA and Profile.
But is it part of the Common App, or do I complete these documents separately?
Neither of these documents is part of the Common App. The Common App is used for applying for admission. FAFSA and Profile are used for applying for need-based financial aid (and at some schools may be required to be considered for merit aid).
Got it, thank you.
For,the FAFSA…make sure you go to FAFSA.gov
Do NOT use FAFSA.com…where you will be asked to pay a fee.
The CSS Profile is available through the College Board.
You will need the school codes for each form…and they will be different.
All of this info is on each college financial aid website. Some have a link to the Profile.
The FAFSA will be available Oct. 1. Not sure about CSS but it’s about that time too.
They are both available for completion and filing in October.
It’s wise to get the FAFSA done ASAP after October 1, and submitted. There are some forms of need based aid that have limited funding, and are awarded on a first come first served basis. This includes SEOG, and federal work study which both have limited funds per campus.
I think the best answer is really that the best time to file depends on a lot of things - like the school, and your financial situation, etc.
For most families, at schools that only require the FAFSA, it should probably be filed as @thumper1 suggests, ASAP after October 1.
But at schools that use the CSS Profile, when you’re looking for need based aid at schools that meet full need, or if there are other siblings also in school, remember that the CSS Profile takes a snapshot of assets. If your parents are making the winter/spring semester payment on January 2nd, then it may make sense to file for the next years’ financial aid on January 3rd - when your assets have been lowered.
Suppose you’re applying to a school that meets full need, and you have an older sibling in school for his final year, and the family owes $20K per semester for him, but your parents have that amount “set aside” for him.
If your parents take the snapshot of their assets before they pay that amount for him, then your school could think that those assets may be available for your aid, so your award might be lowered.
So, like a lot of answers here, it really depends.
The FAFSA also does that day of filing snapshot of assets. There could be reasons to wait. For example…family sells their home and the profits are in the bank account until they close on their new home in November. Better to wait until the large asset has been used as the down payment for the new home.