<p>I'm very confused about financial aid in relation to submitting apps.</p>
<p>When is the CSS profile due? Should I hand it in with my applications?
Are the FAFSA and the CSS profile the only things I need to hand in to colleges for financial aid?</p>
<p>First of all, you need to look at the website for each school you apply to. Each school will have its own requirements and deadlines that you will want to be sure to meet.</p>
<p>In general, though ... Profile is available in November & can be filled out with estimated income figures if necessary in order to meet early filing requirements that some schools have. Please be aware that not all schools require Profile, and of those schools not all require it for RA (some use it only for early aid estimates for EA & ED and don't require it for RD). If you fill out the Profile early with estimated figures & the info changes when you do your taxes, it's a pain - you have to contact each school to find out how to submit your changes.</p>
<p>The FAFSA can't be filed until January 1. This form is required for federal aid. Most (all?) Profile schools require the FAFSA in addition to the Profile. If you use estimated info for FAFSA, you can easily make changes online.</p>
<p>Also check requirements in terms of supporting info. Many colleges require 1040s, W2s, and other info for all aid applicants; others only want it in certain circumstances & will ask for it if necessary. Some schools use a processor called IDOC to collect your documents & you will have to download a form & follow the instructions. Some schools also have a financial aid application you fill out in additon to FAFSA/Profile.</p>
<p>Check all requirements & keep a list of what is needed, when, and where.</p>
<p>And you do not send your financial aid applications "with" your applications. FAFSA and Profile can both be filed online. The FAFSA is sent to the FAFSA site and they forward it on to colleges which you request. The Profile is filed with the College Board and they send it to colleges which you request.</p>
<p>Thanks for your help, guys!</p>
<p>Also, just to clarify--do I just fill out and send the CSS profile and FAFSA once and that works for all schools I'm applying to or...?</p>
<p>When you fill them out, you will put codes in for the schools you want them to go to. The codes are easy to find when you are filling out the forms. You do both online, then the processor sends them automatically to the schools you indicated. The FAFSA is free & the Profile costs money (per school you send it to).</p>
<p>Re: the FAFSA - you can go onto the fafsa.ed.gov website now if you want. Click on the FAFSA4Caster (left side, the box with the big question mark). Fill it out & do a "trial run" - the cool thing is that you can create a real PIN (used to sign the real FAFSA electronically), and it will link to your real FAFSA when the time comes & automatically fill in some of your fields (like name, address, SSN, etc., etc.). You can find out an estimated EFC and get some of the FAFSA work done ahead of time.</p>
<p>Thanks very much, kelsmom!</p>
<p>You're very welcome! :)</p>
<p>Do I have to fill out the FAFSA and CSS profile?</p>
<p>softball,
It depends on the school, check their FA website and it will tell you.</p>
<p>If you have to fill out the Profile for a school, you also must send them the FAFSA (with the exception of Hillsdale College). If the school doesn't require the Profile, though, you only have to send the FAFSA to that school.</p>