Non Custodial Parent CSS Profile for EA

<p>My DS is applying to several CSS Profile Schools. He is applying Early Action to one of them. That school asks that you do the CSS Profile (and the non-custodial form) early as well. I know that once you do the CSS profile, you cannot go back in and adjust it. You would have to print it out, make manual changes, and send it into the school once you have completed your taxes. </p>

<p>Getting my son's dad to fill out the profile once will be enough of a mission. Certainly getting him to do it twice will be next to impossible. Since I will likely not have that information, should I just not even submit my information either? Other than not having a preliminary estimate of what they are going to give us, will that hurt me in another way? Should I just send in mine even if he doesn't do his?</p>

<p>Also, if I do send mine in, when I re-do it once my taxes are complete, do I have to make corrections to the asset numbers (bank balances, home equity, etc.) or do I just adjust the income numbers to actuals and leave the asset information as of the day I first submitted it?</p>

<p>Are you asking if you both should just submit CSS next spring? What do the schools require for EA students? </p>

<p>Frankly, if my child had an uncooperative NCP, I wouldn’t be looking at schools that require NCP info. Uncooperative NCP’s typically will not pay “their share” or won’t fill out the info accurately or won’t fill the info out at all.</p>

<p>Be sure to have your son apply to some schools that will give him large amounts of aid (merit or need-based) that won’t require NCP info.</p>

<p>Yes I am asking if we should just wait until February when our taxes are done to fill out the information. The EA school asks that you submit the profiles in order to give you an estimate of what aid you will be eligible for. I’m just not sure if that means that if you don’t provide it, the money will not be earmarked for you and you may miss out on the aid if you wait until the RD deadline.</p>

<p>Unfortunately, the majority of his schools require NCP profile. He hasn’t refused to give the info. He’s just not to happy about it and I don’t want to push my luck by making him do it early and then have to do it again in February.</p>

<p>He does have a couple of non NCP schools but they are not the ones he really wants to go to.</p>

<p>*Unfortunately, the majority of his schools require NCP profile. He hasn’t refused to give the info. He’s just not to happy about it and I don’t want to push my luck by making him do it early and then have to do it again in February.</p>

<p>He does have a couple of non NCP schools but they are not the ones he really wants to go to.*</p>

<p>You have a few issues that could really bite you in the fanny…</p>

<p>1) Your ex may balk once he sees how extensive CSS is…it expects detailed financial info with documentation. </p>

<p>2) Your ex may do the paperwork (or drag his feet and miss deadlines), but then refuse to pay “his share”…then what?</p>

<p>3) CSS schools that “meet need” are the hardest to get accepted to. Your son may not get into any of them (or the aid pkgs may not be enough). Your son needs to identify a couple of schools THAT HE LIKES that will be affordable. </p>

<p>4) If your son balks at identifying some financial safeties that he LIKES, then warn him that if the FA pks aren’t sufficient, that you won’t borrow to cover the balance, and he may end up at a CC or a school that he doesn’t like.</p>

<p>5) You might want to identify some schools where your son will get assured large merit for his stats and insist that he apply. Those can be “parent pick” schools which some parents insist upon. </p>

<p>During these times, kids can get “too optimistic” or headstrong…insisting that they’re going to go to one of their favorite schools someway, somehow. They don’t want to consider that the cards may not fall their way.</p>

<p>I am aware of the issues you are bringing up. If anyone has answers to my original questions, I would love to get answers to those. Thanks.</p>

<p>My experience, and the experience of some other parents last year, was that submitting the Profile late only delayed receiving a Financial Award estimate…it didn’t impact the award. I would check the school’s policy to be certain before I’d chance it though. If your son has a first choice school, getting in early and confirming that it’s affordable can save him from having to do more applications. </p>

<p>It was also my experience that the Profile didn’t need to be corrected. You just had to fax/mail actual tax forms/schedules/w2s to each school and they adjusted the numbers from the profile. If he does go to a profile school keep in mind that your ex will have to do the profile each year after taxes. The first year he will have to get his taxes done early enough to get award letters in time to make a decision.</p>

<p>If the school has a priority deadline for submission of the Profile, it would be wise to adhere to that deadline for both the parent and non-custodial parent forms. Re: revisions once taxes are completed…you would we’d to find out how THIS particular school wants those revisions made. Some want paper corrections…some participate in IDOC (you would send all of your supporting info…tax returns etc to IDOC) and some will want completed tax returns sent directly to the financial aid office at the school. Check the school for their requirement for correcting the Profile once taxes are completed.</p>

<p>Re: corrections. For both the FAFSA and the Profile, when you update, the ONLY fields you change are the ones that reflect accurate numbers from your tax returns. The assets do NOT get updated. Your assets are the ones on your original filing date. </p>

<p>I think you need to have a discussion with your former spouse. His cooperation for schools that require his information will be essential. If the school required non-custodial information, they will not process your request for need based aid without it. And do check…at some schools you will need to file these Profile forms EVERY year for reconsideration of need based aid.</p>

<p>I would suggest you contact the school. The priority deadline is so your child will have a financial aid estimate about when they receive an EA acceptance. If you are willing to wait until financial aid awards are sent to RD students, it is possible they will allow you to wait. Ask the school.</p>

<p>If this is going to be a real headache…perhaps applying RD would be a better plan.</p>