When to actually submit FAFSA and CSS Profile if deadline is January 15th...?

<p>So if the deadline is January 15th to have the forms in, does that mean that I am okay to send them out on January 14th? Or should I have them sent out by, say, January 7th, allowing a week for processing. What is the best approach?</p>

<p>Thanks.</p>

<p>My suggestion is to do them next week using estimated numbers so that you have them submitted well before the 1/15 deadline. Then - come back later and revise as needed once the actual 2010 tax returns are done.</p>

<p>You will be doing them with estimates at ANY time in January…so do them as soon as you can. I would not suggest waiting until the 15th as often there are “computer or server snags”. So play it safe and be earlier than that.</p>

<p>

How can you revise the numbers after submitting the Profile?</p>

<p>Just log back in and there will be a tab about making corrections to an existing Profile. I did it last year - so I know it exists!</p>

<p>^I have difficulty finding the tab. Do you mind being a bit more specific?</p>

<p>When I log in, I can only see “Add colleges to submitted application” and “Check Status of application”.</p>

<p>I logged back into my Profile from last year and did not see a tab to make changes either - maybe I’m confusing it with the FAFSA? I know I made changes to one of them after submission.</p>

<p>In any case - this is what the instructions said to do:</p>

<p>“If a tax return has not been completed yet: If you haven’t completed a 2009 federal income tax return but will be filing one, it is recommended that one be completed before the PROFILE Application is filled out. However, if the student’s colleges or programs have an early priority filing date and completing the tax return is not possible, estimate to the best of your ability 2009 income and benefits using income and tax records from 2008 and salary and other financial records from 2009. See the Help Desk for information on estimating, including tips, U.S. federal income draft tax forms, and a U.S. federal income tax line reference table for 2008 and 2009. If you need to correct PROFILE information after filing the tax return, do so directly with your colleges and scholarship programs.”</p>

<p>Again - this was from last year - so substitute 2010 for 2009 and 2009 for 2008.</p>

<p>It also says this:</p>

<p>Welcome Back to PROFILE Online!</p>

<p>Status: Application Submitted</p>

<ul>
<li>Click “Add Colleges to Submitted Application” to send your application information to additional colleges or scholarship programs. You will have the opportunity to update your PROFILE application information for those new colleges and programs as part of the process.</li>
</ul>

<p>So - clearly there is a way to update it - but maybe only for new colleges? </p>

<p>I still would recommend doing it now with estimated info in order to meet your deadlines - but only for the school(s) that have that very early 1/15 deadline. Hopefully the rest of the deadlines are the more common 2/15 or 3/1 - and you will have the real info by then - and can add those schools and update with the correct info.</p>