We submitted both the FAFSA and CSS profile on Oct. 4. The FAFSA confirmation letter says “your FAFSA was sent to the school(s)” listed on your form. However, the CSS confirmation e-mail just acknowledges the profile was successfully submitted. Some online information says the College Board analyzes the data first and then sends a report to the colleges. So does anyone know how long this usually takes? I ask because the college’s online application checklist shows D’s financial aid information as “incomplete.” I don’t want to annoy the FA office unnecessarily, but I also don’t want to let a problem go for too long either, since D is applying ED and for both FA and merit aid.
I know of a college that notified students and parents that because of a processing delay at the College Board, Profile information would not be transmitted to the college until October 19 at the earliest. So maybe the delay that you’re seeing is based on the same thing.
I would call the FA office at the college. It won’t hurt your kid on any way for you to make sure everything is ok.
Interesting, BelknapPoint. Why am I not surprised?
Correct, the earliest CSS files will be available to download is this week. Depending on how efficient the school is it likely will take at least a day or two to download the CSS files and upload them to their Financial Aid Management System so that you would be able to see the requirement satisfied.
The college that I referred to in post #1 is now showing Profile forms downloaded and processed.
D’s college said they haven’t yet imported any CSS profiles into their system. However, they also said they need the second page of our tax return, signed. That requirement was not listed anywhere that we saw. We did have to send a signed return for our older children, but I assumed that with the direct download from the IRS to FAFSA it wouldn’t be necessary anymore.