Typically been around March 24th.
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Is there a usual day of the week, or is it usually March 24?
For regular decisions I expect them to post the day/time this year a little ahead of them posting results. When they sent packages, they posted to Twitter showing them being loaded on the truck. If just a portal update, as expected, they will give time/day earlier in the week they are being done.
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^^^ If via portal update, at least we will not see 100s of posts with questions like… Anyone get a package in Rhode Island (or insert other state/country) yet?
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Confused… we logged into the USC portal again - it has been some time since we have. There is a USC Fast Button for the Financial Assistance. When clicking on it it says that there are 2 items required for the 21-22 school year. A CSS Profile Application and Tax Supplement Form from parent. I thought this info was released by FASFA? Or is this something different? It is listing as “Application in Review” Sorry if I am confused… first family member applying to college.
A CSS profile is completely separate from the FAFSA. It is run by the College Board and costs money ($16 per school). It can be found here: https://cssprofile.collegeboard.org I’m not sure about the Tax Supplement Form as we didn’t fill one out. (We’re not eligible for need-based aid.) Many schools require the CSS Profile in order to award financial aid.
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Thank you for your response 
So we should wait to see if she is accepted before completing?
Generally each college has deadlines. USC seems to have a deadline of February 12th for both the FAFSA and the CSS profile as stated on their website: Dates and Deadlines | USC Undergraduate Admission So I would complete the CSS Profile as soon as possible. You should check the admissions portals for the other schools she has applied to as well. There may be others that require it. Without completing it, her financial aid may be delayed or inaccurate (or not awarded?) Note: University of California and Cal State schools do not require the CSS profile (I noticed in your profile that your D has applied to some of these schools.)
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Omgeee… I think we missed something major here? 
I am so sad for my kiddo having no idea half the time :((( We did FASFA some time ago. I believed that if a school requires this info they request it and it is released automatically. We have a very high EFC however does the CSS affect merit based/talent scholarship opportunities? So we need to complete the CSS also. Currently page says… " 
Application in Review
Additional Documents Required
Please visit Required Info & Forms to submit additional information so that we can process your financial aid.
I am not sure why they want to process it before we are notified of admittance?
Thank you for your thoughts - so messed up here
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I don’t know if the CSS Profile affects merit-based aid. I’ve tried to do some research on this in the past and it just isn’t clear. If a school requests a CSS Profile, it definitely affects need-based aid. If you hope to get any need-based aid, which includes scholarships, work-study, & loans, you should complete the Profile asap.
Most schools have deadlines for financial forms/info that are before the admission notification dates. It can take a lot of time to pull together the award for each admitted student. Many schools don’t notify students until late March, early April and they expect enrollment decisions from applicants by May 1 - a month later. If they waited until after students were admitted to request financial forms, families wouldn’t receive their financial aid packet before their child needed to make an enrollment decision. And clearly one important factor for many/most families’ decisions is the cost of attendance.
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@NewParentCA CSS has no influence on being chosen for merit based scholarships. Financial aid is need based. You have to do a CSS for USC to evaluate you for USC financial aid. If you have a high EFC and know you won’t get any need based money, you do not have to submit a FAFSA or CSS. It is certainly a lot of personal information and some don’t like doing it until after they are admitted. The deadlines are very loosely interpreted depending on your circumstances. If you really need aid, you want to do it by the deadlines as funds may run out and it does help them process your file faster. But the deadlines are not hard and there are situations where you can do it well after you are admitted…
In the case where EFC is very high and you know you don’t qualify for any need based aid (easy to tell doing the Net Price Calculator and playing with the numbers to see just how much less you would have to have to get need based aid), your student is still able to apply (and get) Stafford loans throughout their four years. These are loans in their name that are goverment loans, not USC loans/aid. You need to do FAFSA for these, but not the CSS. (Again, CSS is for USC need based financial aid.) It totals about 22k over all four years (about 5K a year generally speaking) for them. Some full pay families have their student get these not so much to help with the cost (cause its a tiny bit of total), but to have the student have some skin in the game and make them responsible for those loans. They end up owing about 22k at the end of 4 years. Some parents may choose to pay them off when student graduates or leave them in the hands of their student.
If you want to have your student take out the Stafford loans, you will need to fill out just the FAFSA, but the deadlines don’t come into play. You could do it after they are admitted.
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Thank you both @CADREAMIN and @lbrickme such super helpful info!!! I really don’t know what I would do without CC!
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Yes, it is different. I am surprise they didn’t notify you by email letting you know it was there. We were notified last December (complete application October)
They’re looking for our 2020 tax return which we won’t even have done until next month. 2019 was an anomaly for us income wise and we also took a significant covid hit last year like so many others, and wrote an explanation on the CSS.
Some schools say there is no merit award for anyone who doesn’t fill out the CSS. Not sure if USC is like this but I know NYU and some others are.
You’re welcome. Also, the FA office is super helpful (and the experts at all this) if you have any questions to be sure what you have to do in your particular situation. They can tell you why/when you need to submit (or not) the CSS. I would call them, that is what they are there for!
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Is this what is showing for you also?
I’m sad since thy might think how can my kiddo handle college if we can’t even figure out their applications?!? 
Does it seem odd to anyone else how the USC portal doesn’t state anything like “application received but under review” or similar? Or maybe I am missing something 
