How is the Fin Aid Worksheet equivalent to the CSS Profile? It clearly doesn’t cover nearly the same amount of information. Does UChicago just disregard all that information on the CSS that isn’t also included on the proprietary worksheet? Is filling out one over the other a better Idea? Does one end up giving you more financial aid from UChicago?
Can anyone explain this to me?
@Hizeus if you look at the end of the CSS profile it will list the specific line items that UChicago looks at. IIRC one of them is second home/property value.
So if you own a home, would it be better to just submit the fin aid worksheet since it doesn’t consider that information?
You must submit both and I believe in recent years they negate the primary residence and only look at additional property. I will log in to CSS this evening and post the specific questions submitted to UChicago.
You only have to submit one of them, or am I wrong? On the website and portal, they recognize the fin aid worksheet as a complete substitute for the css profile.
https://collegeadmissions.uchicago.edu/costs/apply-for-aid
FAFSA for federal aid CSS for UChicago aid.
I’m talking about the free UChicago Financial Aid Worksheet For UChicago Aid, not the FAFSA.
The net price calculator ?
https://collegeadmissions.uchicago.edu/costs/calculate
UChicago grants are calculated using the CSS profile which the majority of people find is fairly activate based on the net price calculator.
Can anyone else help me?
It’s been a few years but I remember for UofC aid you need to file three different documents: the Fafsa, the CSS profile and the UofC financial aid work sheet. You need to file all three because the work sheet had additional information that is not covered by CSS profile.
I got financial aid and I only submitted the FAFSA and the UChicago worksheet (I did not submit the CSS profile)
They changed last year I think and now only require FAFSA and UChicago worksheet which continues on with current 1st years. The previous classes who applied with CSS required are still required to submit CSS.
If I remember correctly, you can consent to submit the CSS profile in place of the UChicago form. I did have to submit a verification as well. Got my award on Monday - could not have dreamed about them being so generous. Literally changed my life and my parents’ lives - very very humbled.
@acdchai @MCarltx But is it a better idea to submit one rather than the other? Especially in my case, when owning a home, which form is better?
@Hizeus They’re likely the same, though I don’t know if anyone can tell you for sure, since everyone can only submit one and everyone has different financial situations. They probably allow you to submit a CSS profile because some people will all have one filled out. It’s a universal form. I wouldn’t read too much into the differences, it’s for convenience.
@Hizeus
You should call the financial office and ask which one you should submit, they will help you to your advantage. While owning a primary residence is not going to be negative, own a second home will negatively impact your aid. While my EFC did qualify for some aid, the second home I own really brings the aid down to nothing. They expect you to “sell” the second home to finance the COA. lol
Actually, they aren’t too adverse to you taking out a home equity loan on your first property, either!
We submitted the CSS to UChicago as it was going to other privates as well (I figured Why Not?). We also completed UChicago’s form as it asked for a (small) subset of the same info. on the CSS. D17 got, in our view, a generous aid package.
Not sure if FAFSA allows you to hide the 2nd home. If it’s a primary residence (?), then maybe. If it’s investment property then sorry you’ll have to report it on FAFSA as an asset (net worth, of course).
The general rule should be to fill out the necessary documentation but don’t volunteer anything (don’t lie, either). If you get to choose, select that which makes you look the poorer (obvi.).
I never said I had a second home; I’m not sure where that came from. I’m talking about if we own 1 home (our primary residence) and whether the free worksheet or the css would be better. We still owe a substantial amount of money for the house. Because of all this, I’m just wondering which gives the best aid, if there is any difference in the first place. I just don’t understand how the free worksheet substitutes the css when it asks for so little information compared to the css.
Ah. OK. 8-}
UChicago, I think, just ask for the cost of educating other members of the family, including private school - correct? That’s actually the most important item on the CSS (IMHO). The problem with the CSS itself is that you list EVERY ASSET. Not just net value of your primary residence but your parents’ retirement accounts, etc. Everything’s on the table. While colleges using the CSS aren’t expecting you to take out a second mortgage or forfeit the retirement, there is a definite risk that they consider every dollar over and above those amounts to be going to pay for college. The FAFSA doesn’t ask for house, or mortgage, or retirement, but then it also doesn’t ask for the costs of educating the K-12 siblings.
Having said that, my daughter did submit the CSS (because other colleges required the info. as well) and did get a pretty good aid package. She applied EDII so it wasn’t as if she was going to be comparing offers from several schools.
Also, the CSS charges you a one-time processing fee as well as a marginal fee per school. So it’s a money maker for College Board. My advice - if UChicago is the only school asking for the CSS and doesn’t require it, don’t bother completing it, just send in the free worksheet they provide along with the FAFSA. I think they require the FAFSA either way, correct?