<p>I've come this far in applying for FAFSA without my parents' information due to my special circumstances, and I wasn't aware that 5 out of 8 of my schools require the CSS profile. I can barely fill it out muchless figure out how to get past the WHOLE sections for my family income tax information. What do I do? Their help line is constantly busy.</p>
<p>Do you have independent status? If so, wouldn’t you fill it out as if you were older, married, or whatever?</p>
<p>Hopefully, someone who knows more about this can answer your questions. </p>
<p>Keep trying with their helpline.</p>
<p>Call the financial aid offices of the colleges/universities that have asked for CSS Profile. Ask them what you should do. It is possible that each college/university will have different information that you will have to supply to explain your “special circumstance”, so don’t be surprised if you have five different answers to your question.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>Agree with happymomof1: Ask the colleges about your “special circumstances”, as filling out the CSS Profile is only the first step. You will eventually need to submit through IDOC:
- Copies of your parents’ 2009 Federal Income Tax Return
- Copies of Parents’ 2009 W-2 Form(s)
- Copies of Student 2009 Federal Return and W-2 Form(s), or a Tax Non-Filer Statement</p>
<p>okay, i will definitely do that. </p>
<p>m2ck - i have no idea how to even file as independent. tips? i just got my w2, now what?</p>
<p>Agee, call the finaid office, share the informtion you shared on your other thread. Kelsmom gave you good advice for FAFSA, your CSS schools should tell you how to proceed with their institutions. Good luck. Your situation is unique, but I would guess all of the schools have run into something similar at least once.</p>
<p>called BU and they have a special thing on their website to waive the need for CSS. took me 10 mins to get to the right person, though. one down, 4 to go!</p>
<p>It will be worth your time!</p>
<p>great news! i just got mail from washu and they have an alternate form in place of the css profile called “ffp”. just called about it to explain my situation, they noted it in my file (VERY nice and helpful set of people in that office!) and she told me all i needed to do was get a letter from a third party verifying my information and awareness of the situation. a lot less stress now, hopefully all schools will be around that easy because it kind of is painful to think i would have to dig in my past to pull things like police records as evidence. they just need the letters just in case they get audited for giving me a waiver on no parent info. wonder if other schools will just need a letter because it’s always mentioned, but everyone on here says things like get records…hm…</p>
<p>I think people here have a lot of helpful information, but sometimes take things to legalistic extremes without having really gone through the process. This isn’t because they’re ogres, they’re just people who have experienced or witnessed or heard about situations where tons of documentation was required, lots of “proof”, etc. I think they just want to advise others in such a way that they can be practically and psychologically prepared for what might come their way in such a process.</p>
<p>I personally have known two kids who needed waivers and got them without much trouble, or much heavy documentation. But that’s the extent of my direct knowledge of real people (not internet posters) who went through this process. I don’t personally know anyone who was denied one, but I’m certain that must happen pretty often.</p>
<p>this is true, and trust me i definitely appreciate them preparing me for the worse. i’m just relieved that it won’t, as far as i can see now, require all that extra stuff. i’m thinking what kelsmom said was really true - just get a counselor letter with an abundance of information about the situation and send those out when the time is right. good thing i just made an appt. with my counselor to do so anyway, so i can be with her in prep for the letter and what it should say.</p>
<p>Good luck, Kerissak. It sounds like you’re being very organized about all this!</p>
<p>Thanks, at the very least I’m trying!</p>