I am a Questbridge finalist and I need to have this completed by November 1st. My parents know even less about this than i do. I have a lot of questions…
When filling out the 2016/2017 profile (which i think i should be completing), it asks for 2015 tax returns. Is it okay to yse 2014 tax returns if those are the most current ones available?
My parents are divorced but we all live in the same household for financial reasons. Only one has tax returns and the other has no income. My mother has social security benefits but they are on my father's tax returns. I don't even know what to make of this at all... Thus, I listed my father as the custodial parent. Will I still have to fill out the noncustodial parent form for my mother? If i do, what would I even use to complete it?
Are social security benefits an amount of untaxed income and benefits? It was already factored into the adjusted gross income.
It says How much did you or will you receive in scholarships grants and gift aid during the 2015-2016 academic year? If this is referring to scholarships i’ll receieve for college next year, I have no idea. I’m applying for some financial aid in bits and pieces ( and the main program, questbridge) but I have no idea what the finak number will look like. I feel like this is meant to be filled out later in the year. It is due by Nov 1 though. Should I just put 0?
This is asking about scholarships received during the current academic year. If you are now a senior at a public high school, this number is most likely zero.
Wait, we’re supposed to submit the 2016-17 CSS Profile? I thought we were doing the Fall 2015/Spring 2016 one. Can someone please clarify? @mom2collegekids do you know anything about this? I’m a senior currently applying to colleges.
One of my daughters is considering applying ED, and the college does an estimate for you (before you sign the ED commitment) if you get your things in by Oct 31. They asked for 2014 docs and the Fall 2015/Spring 2016 CSS/PROFILE application to be filled out. So, YMMV.
Can you call the financial aid department of your ED school to ask? Pheebers is saying that her daughter (Class of 2016)'s ED school DOES want the 2015-2016 CSS Profile form.
so should I list them as not married, living together? I already listed them as divorced on the common app and the questbridge app. i dont want to try to fill out a noncustodial parent form for a parent who has custody of me… (especially since my mother has no income, and therefore no tax returns) @mom2collegekids
Not married living together best describes their situation for financial aid. If you put divorced, then the assumption would be that they live in different places. I don’t think it’s a big deal for it not to match “divorced” on the CA and QB app. Anyone noticing it is going to realize why you had to make that selectiion.
The Profile and FAFSA forms you complete should match the year for year for which you want financial aid.
So…if you want aid for the 2016-2017 school year, you complete the 2016-2017 forms.
@Pheebers I would strongly suggest you check carefully what your daughter’s ED school wants submitted. The 2015-2016 for would be used to award aid for the 2015-2016 school year.
@thumper1 I did call to verify as that seemed questionable to me, too. They said because it was early and preliminary, they had asked for the 2015-2016. Note that this is for an estimate – so I will need to do the 2016-2017 also. I only mentioned it in this thread because I thought someone else might be still using the 2015-2016, if the college asked. Two different people in the FA office confirmed it (and I have their names) and it’s specifically written on the paper I have from the admissions office.
@pheebers. That is really odd. In the very vast majority of cases…the 2015-2016 Profile would be used to craft an aid package for the 2015-2016 school year.
But if that is what they told you…fine. It’s just very odd.
The form is tricky - if you click on the help button thingy on each question it will tell you exactly what line on your dad’s tax return has the right numbers to fill in. And for most schools, it is not due till 12/1 for ED so you can still call the school’s FA office and ask questions. I called a school today. They will definitely want to help you and will understand your situation.
