<p>hello so i about 5 days ago i sent columbia an email outlining my financial situation (since theyve said you can email them instead of filling out the CSS form and i attached my parents income forms etc to the email and the two non filer forms for parent and student) and then today i got an email which is subjected "columbia financial aid: march 1st deadline and online tracking" which then links me to the online tracker and it says that the CSS FINANCIAL AID PROFILE and the PARENT FOREIGN TAX RETURN have not been received. im not sure if theyve received my email and still need the css or if they havent actually seen my email yet? it also says in their email if they need a document that doesnt pertain to me then i should email them and tell them because i dont think the parent tax return applies to me. since the deadline is march 1st what should i do? shall i fill out the css profile or email them asking if they have received my financial aid application email</p>
<p>also im an international applicant . thanks for any help</p>
<p>I think the Email thing goes a bit differently: First you have to send them an email requesting a CSS Profile Fee Waiver. The email should include your parents’ financial condition, and why it would be difficult for you to pay for the CSS Profile. The FA office then decides whether you are eligible for a CSS Profile Fee Waiver, and gives a waiver code to you accordingly.</p>
<p>Either way, you have to submit the CSS Profile. I don’t think Columbia accepts any other financial aid app. I requested a fee waiver, but they decided I was ineligible for the waiver, even though my family’s financial condition is not that good. So, I guess even the waivers are competitive…</p>
<p>And I am an international applicant as well…</p>
<p>As the above poster said, you have to submit the CSS profile. CSS Profile fee waivers are only available to students from certain countries, the list is not made public, so to find out if you qualify for a fee waiver you have to email Columbia.</p>
<p>did you not send them a css? because i didnt apply for a css fee waiver and i just emailed them anway. did you email them without asking for a fee waiver?</p>
<p>The only way to apply for financial aid at Columbia is by filling out the CSS Profile, so unfortunately, you cannot apply for financial aid by emailing Columbia informing them of you financial situation. </p>
<p>The financial aid deadline is today so if you still want to apply for financial aid I’d suggest you get right on it. However, please be advised that all supporting materials must be sent to Columbia today as well.</p>
<p>okay thanks , so shall i just fill out the css profile since they have the supporting documents in the email i sent them . what is parent foreign tax return???</p>
<p>if in your country, your parents are required to file taxes then you should send a copy of your parents tax return to Columbia. However, if your parents are not required to file taxes then you must provide a current statement of earnings from your parents’ employers that state their yearly earnings.</p>
<p>While the deadline is today, there is apparently some flexibility. An email my daughter received today from Columbia states, in part, “Please submit financial aid application materials by March 1, 2012 (postmarked) or as soon as possible. We will accept submissions after the deadline; however, this may delay the review of your financial aid eligibility.”</p>
<p>That email was received at my house too. Seeing as all the materials showing as “missing” have been available to colleges via IDOC for over a week (according to the IDOC website), D phoned Columbia Fin Aid, and got a response along the lines of “why are you concerned?” I guess we’ll keep monitoring and hope Columbia’s computer system decides to retrieve them from IDOC, some day soon.</p>