Do I need to fill both out for financial aid? Do I send both forms to the schools?
You need to fill out the FAFSA to be eligible for federal loans or Pell grants. You say when you fill it out (online) which schools should receive the info. Many colleges have requirements in addition to FAFSA if you are applying for need based aid – CSS Profile and/or additional forms of their own. The CSS Profile is filled out via a College Board website, and you also select schools as part of the process.
You need to go to each college financial aid page and understand what they need and the due dates. We kept a spreadsheet to track it, as each college had different requirements and different due dates.
Ok, thanks so much!