THE CSS PROFILE DEADLINE IS APPROACHING!  Well, at least for those of you who opted to pursue Early Decision/Early Action for you college applications.  We recently talked about Early Decision/Action applications coming due, and now that November 1^st has passed, students who chose that path have other documents to put on their to-do lists.  Next on the list is the CSS profile, which is due for Early Decision/Action students on November 15^th.

What the heck is the CSS profile?  You could be thinking that right now.  Well, if your Early Decision school is a private college (The Profile is most frequently used by them) you will need to know.  In the most basic terms, the Profile is an addendum to the FAFSA form you will be completing in January.  The CSS Profile is considered to be a supplement form to determine what you and your family should pay towards your education (This is your EFC.  Click the link to learn more about it!).  In turn, this will help figure out how much financial aid you should get.

What’s different about the CSS Profile compared to the FAFSA is what aspects of your finances are considered.  Both forms will look at student’s annual income, family income, taxes, etc.  The CSS Profile, however, will go a step further and take a look at various assets you have, such as home equity.  Getting a clear image of what you have financially helps your school and the government to determine what you can afford to pay for college.  The less you can put towards schooling, the more government loans and grants you will probably receive, and vice-versa.

As a reminder for financial aid forms, be sure to have the following information handy:

• W-2 Forms for the last year
• Tax Returns from the last year
• Records of investments
• Recent bank statements

And, as a change of pace from the typical financial paperwork, the CSS profile also consider if there is a family member already in college, or who has recently graduated.  If someone is already paying for college in your home, this may very likely affect how much can be put towards another education!

So, you’ve got some information to chew on.  Take a look at some of the provided links to learn more specific details regarding the CSS Profile and CSS Profile November 15^th Early Decision/Early Action deadline.  Can’t get enough of us?  Need a little more financial aid help?  Contact Go Financial Aid today for all the best in financial aid solutions!

Deadlines, deadlines!  The college application and financial aid process are chock-full of them—FAFSA, CSS Profile, etc—and one is fast approaching.  The most immediate deadline concerns your choice of college—Early Decision/Early Action.  This comes in right around the corner on November 1^st.

So far all you know if that this has to do with colleges applications.  Well, let’s get a better picture.  Early Decision and Early Action are college application options that over 400 schools have adopted, allowing students to apply to school earlier (in November) than they normally would.  The most important factor here is that not only do you apply earlier, but you hear back from a school faster, too.

Typically students find out which of the schools they’ve applied to have accepted them sometime in March or April of their senior year of high school.  The benefit to Early Decision/Action is that you know who’s banging down your door (hopefully college choice #1) by the wintertime.  Actually, applying early sometimes ups your chance for college acceptance (“Early bird” and all that), so it’s worth it to consider.

Now these two options, Early Decision and Early Action, are often lumped together due to similarities.  However, it is important to note some key differences between the two application routes.

• Early Decision.  Think of this as a contract—binding.  You decide to “sign with” a particular school early on in the application/admission process.  You can only apply to one school this way (better make it your top choice!), and if they accept you and offer good financial aid, you are contracted to attend.  While you’re in the “waiting stage” for this, you are permitted to apply to other schools and wait the standard time for admission decisions, but acceptance to the early decision school requires withdrawal of all other applications later.

• Early Action.  Going this route means that you’re not committing yourself to one school right away.  It’s not binding, and one way to look at it is that it’s like being an “at-will” employee.  When you are “at-will,” you can leave your job without giving standard 2-week notice, you haven’t signed a paper indicating you will work for Company X for a set time, etc.  The bottom line with early action is that if you get accepted, you can still take some time to weigh school options, rather than having an obligation to attend automatically (you can make your choice as late as springtime).   Another perk is that you can apply to more than one school this way!

Even if you’re heart is set on a specific school and you wish to apply early, definitely keep your options open.  There’s a whole world of education, after all!  Most college applicants have at least 5 schools that they are reaching out to.  With all of this in mind, use every opportunity you can to get into a good school, and don’t forget your deadlines!  The Early Decisions/Early Action deadline for college applications is November 1^st!

Questions?  Visit our solutions center and contact a Go Financial Aid Consultant today for all of your financial aid/college inquiries!

You’re finally headed down College Street and looking forward to what lies ahead.  Opportunities are endless—where you want to go to school, what you want to study, experiences and activities are there for the taking.  But you know you will need help getting there.  You opened your wallet and flies just emerged; it’s that empty.  The next logical step is financial assistance.  How do you get it?  Paperwork.  To receive funds for school, an application for financial assistance is required.  Let’s talk about this a bit more.

1. There are several applications to be completed for financial aid, but first thing is first: the FAFSA.

Every college student will hear this acronym for every single year of their education, so learn it now friends.  FAFSA=Free Application for Federal Student Aid.  It’s a mouthful, so just remember that FAFSA–>college money.  Of any financial assistance form you fill out, this number one.  To complete it, get out the following: tax information (yours and your guardian’s) and income information.  These details will need to be indicated on the application, as well as whether you are interested in participating in a Work Study program (jobs that specifically pay for college expenses) and others.  All of this information will help the government to determine your level of financial need, and thus the loans and grants you will qualify for.  Expect a report back on your application status within about a month.  Remember that the FAFSA is due by June 30^th of each year, though each university maybe establish its own deadline.

2. Another big application for financial assistance is the College Scholarship Service (CSS) Profile. 

This is a financial aid supplement form often required by private universities.  The Profile figures out an individual’s Expected Family Contribution (EFC).  The FAFSA does this, but the CSS Profile considers money sources like home equity too.  The CSS Profile costs $9 for the application and $16 for each copy.  Remember that every form has a deadline.  The CSS profile should ideally be submitted in October of the senior year of high school (for first time filers).  Just as you needed loads of financial information for the FAFSA, the same applies here.  It will help to have these items handy: W-2 forms, tax forms, investment records and bank statements. The CSS Profile will determine if you are eligible for non-government financial aid, i.e. institutional grants, scholarships and loans.

Now of course there’s always a chance of encountering other applications.  One to keep tucked within the gray matter is an application for a private loan.  These vary and will be discussed with a private lender or bank.  Otherwise, you should be right on track with understanding how to apply for financial aid for college.  Go Financial Aid is here to help and provide sound solutions to any financial aid inquiries.

Starting college is exciting.  However, the transition makes students question their finances.  You may think, “How will I ever cover the high costs of going to college?” Quick answer: complete the FAFSA.  Ok, maybe that’s too quick.  Basically, you need to fill out this application because it gives you access to options like government loans and grants.

Completing the FAFSA is sometimes easier said than done, however.  Understanding how to complete all necessary information can be as tough as learning a foreign language, as you must make sense of and include tax and family income information.  To make it all easier on you, financial aid consulting is available.  Financial aid consulting includes explaining/assisting with the FAFSA, application filing, scholarship help etc.  Check out what our financial aid consultants can do for you.

We’ve all learned to get the most from what we do, and this includes college and financial aid.  Hiring a consultant for FAFSA filing purposes, or to heighten your understanding of the financial aid process, ensures better accuracy and timely completion of your FAFSA application.  This gets you consideration for every type of aid you qualify for.

Talk to your Financial Aid Consultant about…

• Know what paperwork is necessary.  Everyone needs the FAFSA, hands down.  But some universities require the submission of the CSS Profile.
• If you think you can handle work and study together, find out if you are eligible for Work Study.  This is a fabulous way to get financial aid and professional experience at the same time, all the while attending school.
• Given what they know about you, ask for some relevant scholarship ideas.
• Is there a scholarship you know you wish to apply for?  Tell ‘em.  Familiar with the opportunity or not, a consultant will be more than happy to provide application advice and help research the scholarship further.
• Small questions?  No problem.  It’s ok to ask about things like…textbook costs.  Want to save a few bucks?  Third party websites are a nice way to go (this writer learned that lesson after fall semester of freshman year.  $600 for books?  No Thanks).  There are even a few scholarships to cover textbook costs.  Consultants have even more answers to this one.

So, if you are on the brink of a financial aid-induced breakdown, never fear.  Go Financial Aid Consultants are ready to jump in whenever that extra boost is needed, and you will be rid of your college money worries in no time.  For more information about our financial aid consulting packages, visit the solutions page.

Maximize your financial aid. Your Financial Aid Consultant will…

• Assist you in searching for scholarships and loans.
• Help determine eligibility for various forms of aid.
• Assess the fairness of your financial aid award package.

Be a source of information.  Your Financial Aid Consultant may…

• Provide you with brochures and booklets on financial aid.
• Figure out your Expected Financial Contribution (EFC)
• Guide you through to aid process.

Do the legwork.  Your Consultant will…

• File your FAFSA and CSS Profile.
• Get your information where it needs to be by the indicated deadlines.
• Check accuracy and completeness of forms (if you completed them yourself).
• Help with financial aid appeals.

Additional assistance is available depending on student status.  Future college students receive a personal situation review, which looks at student’s financial situation, including assets, with the goal of improving financial aid eligibility.  Current college students planning for more education can ask for a graduate school analysis to determine their aid eligibility for graduate programs.

Our consultants at Go Financial Aid want to make paying for college as easy as humanly possible for you. But why Go Financial Aid?  Check out that link to get the answers, and sign up for financial aid consulting today!

The CSS Profile–perhaps an even bigger mystery than the FAFSA.  While all schools require a completed FAFSA, the  College Scholarship Service (CSS) Profile is used mostly by private colleges as a financial aid supplement.  Its purpose is to determine each individual’s Expected Family Contribution (EFC).  Unlike the FAFSA, the CSS Profile looks for other types of college money, and asks about sources such as home equity.  Students submitting the form are charged $9 for the application AND $16 for each copy sent.

You might be thinking, “GREAT.  Now I have more applications to figure out!”  Don’t sweat it.  Just like the FAFSA, students can practice filling out the CSS Profile.  Don’t sit on this for too long, though, as it’s best to submit the Profile in October of senior year.  But let’s get on to the practice.

Before you do anything, make sure the following information is available:

• W-2 Forms for the last year
• Tax Returns from the last year
• Records of investments
• Recent bank statements

The CSS Profile and CSS Profile Worksheet are lengthy documents, so it’s best to have the answers in front of you.  The CSS Profile itself becomes customized depending on your situation and answers to specific questions, but most of the CSS Profile Worksheet questions will follow the same pattern.  Let’s consider some categories of questions, along with examples.

Registration Data

• Name
• Address
• Date of Birth
• Social Security number

Application Data–often separated into two questions, one for the student and another for the parents.

• Marital Status
• Citizenship Status
• Has and income tax return been completed?
• Does the family receive financial assistance?

Let us also consider some Parent Data, which is very specific.  Only a few categories will be examined.

Parents’ Data–completed for each parent.

• Name
• Date of Birth
• If this parent is unemployed, indicate start  of unemployment
• Indicate specific plans for the parent’s retirement (several questions)

Parents’ Income and Benefits–indicate previous two years’ information as well as expected future information.

• Total number of exemptions for the year (2009, 2010, and 2011)
• Total work-related earnings
• Other taxable income (i.e. alimony, annuities, etc)

Parents’ Expenses

• How much child support was paid the previous year (if applicable)?
• How much does each parent expect to pay on their own student loans in the coming year?
• What is the monthly mortgage payment or rental fee?

If you are the student reading this, remember that these questions are on the application for you to answer too, if applicable.  If your situation is unique, don’t worry about it.  There is a space at the end of the CSS Profile Worksheet to elaborate on individual circumstances.

This was a pretty quick walk through of The CSS Profile Worksheet, and feel free to use it as practice too.  For more detailed practice, search for worksheets online, and consider financial aid consulting!  Go Financial Aid is always here to help you navigate the financial aid process!

Mother’s day is approaching, and I’m feeling the pressure to find that perfect gift for my mom. Dates are just like deadlines in my head, rushing around to get everything done before times up. That same pressure when applying for financial aid is there too! There is a financial aid deadline for applications and material to be sent. Although, I’m pretty sure my mom will forgive me if I send her a late present, financial aid distributors and schools will not be as forgiving. As a matter of fact, if you miss the deadline, you miss your money. It’s as simple as that.

One of the most important financial aid applications to complete is your FAFSA. The FAFSA will help you get need-based money—grants, scholarships and loans.

The deadline for the FAFSA is midnight Central Standard Time, June 30, 2011 if you are applying for the 2011-2012 school year. However, meeting the FAFSA financial aid deadline reminds me a bit of Goldilocks & the three Bears—you can’t be late and you can’t be early when applying. Your timing must be just right.

You are not able to submit your FAFSA before January 1 of the year you are applying to receive aid. Furthermore, if you need to make corrections or update your FAFSA, the deadline to do so is September 15, 2011. Remember that is for corrections or updates only.

The CSS PROFILE has no set deadline, however it should be submitted AT LEAST 2 weeks before your school’s financial aid deadline.

There are several financial aid supplements specific to whatever school you are attending. Openly communicate with your school or school of choices about the financial aid they have available to it’s current or prospective students. Call the financial aid office. Ask questions. Most of all, meet your deadline because if you don’t, all the prep work will have been a waste of time. If you feel you have a problem with deadlines or need additional help, reach out to one of our financial aid consultants for help. We are here to not only guide you through the financial aid process, but to ensure you meet your deadlines.

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Well, no need to wait for the answers about financial aid disbursement as you wait for your money to come through.

Your financial aid is almost always distributed to your school first. Then, your school takes that money and applies it to your school fees
(tuition and room and board if you are on campus). Your school will give you a letter detailing the different types of awards and their amounts. If there is any money left over after paying for your school fees, your school will distribute that money personally to you. The left over money is for you to use for any other school expenses you may have.

When it comes to the Federal Financial Aid, such as the Perkins Loan, your school will give you a check for the left over amount or credit the amount to your account. You usually will get the loan money in at least 2 payments during the school year. The Stafford Loan usually pays at least twice during the school year, also.

You will not receive an installment that is more than half the total amount of your loan. For example if you have a $4,000 loan, you will not receive an installment that exceeds $2,000. You will receive the left over money in the form of either a check or cash. If you desire for your school to hold the money, rather than giving it to you, you must give them permission to do so in writing.

Furthermore, you can only disburse your loan money 30 days after the first day of your enrollment term, if you are a first time borrower and first year undergraduate student applying for the Stafford Loan. However, you must complete the Entrance Counseling to receive your first loan money, if you are borrowing from the Stafford Loan for the first time.

Well, the last big question is, “When will the money come?” When speaking about the Stanford Loan, you must check with your school’s financial aid office for their disbursement date. It’s all dependent on their disbursement date.

Check with your school as to their disbursement date to find when your wait is over to receive your financial aid. You may want to consider a financial aid consultant to help you ensure that your applications are submitted correctly and your financial aid is disbursed on time.

Ah the eternal question: How Do I Get Financial Aid?

Wow April is here (my Birthday month *woot*) and I have so many unanswered questions: Why do I still have allergies? Are little kids ever NOT sick? When’s Rita’s free ice cream day? And HOW DO I GET FINANCIAL AID?!?!?

Well, I’m sad to say I only have one answer to those complicated questions, and that’s HOW DO I GET FINANCIAL AID? If you have the answers to the other questions, you let me know, and I’ll give you a internet high five. In the meantime, enjoy my answer…

1. Submit the FAFSA

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is one of the fundamental forms that you need to fill out. In order to raise you eligibility, submit the form early, as it disburses money based on “First come, first serve” basis. Apply early (Jan. 1st) and you’ll thank us later.

2. Submit Non Federal Applications

As we navigate through the question of “How do I get financial aid”, our next point is the non federal applications.  This includes any forms that your school of choice requires you to fill out. This could include such items as the CSS profile and additional financial aid supplements.

3.  The student aid report

Roughly a month after you submit your FAFSA, you will receive a report that informs you of your financial aid eligibility. Be sure to double check the report, and make any corrections.

4. Additional Aid

Consider additional loan options, as well as applying for scholarships and grant money. A complete overview of how you can get financial aid can be found here: How Do I get financial aid ?overview

5. Verify all the financial aid information

Just like you want to double check tests, you also want to look over your financial aid to make sure everything is correct. You’ve made it this far, so please DON’T skip this step

6.  Signing the MPN

A Master Promissory Note is a students commitment to repay any loans they may have borrowed to pay for school.  Complete this, and double check your financial aid package to make sure everything is correct.

That’s the basics! If you want specific answers, please email us at contact@gofinancialaid.com or call us at (888) 544-9898

If you’ve looked at our site Go Financial Aid, you will realize that the majority of the information is FREE, but we keep the site running Ad-free because of our financial aid consulting services.

I’ve been going through dozens of complaints on how slow, unorganized, and often tiresome financial aid offices can be. Thats not to say there aren’t some amazing people working in some fantastic financial aid offices, but the feedback I’ve been getting is one of disappointment.   While it might be difficult to avoid the process, I do have some use links to help you fill out your FAFSA, find a FAFSA calculator, learn more about your CSS profile, use a college financial aid consultant, and learn about grants and scholarships.

FAFSA

FAFSA deadlines are looming so its time to act now.  These forms can be exhausting so we’ve tried to make it as easy as possible (Consider using our free FAFSA calculator) A couple reminders when filling out the form include:

• Try filling out a practice FAFSA to ensure optimization of your final form
• Remember to leave no blank entry bank

If the process become too tedious or confusing, consider emailing a college financial aid consultant with any or all questions.

CSS profile

The CSS PROFILE determines your eligibility for non-government financial aid, such as the institutional grants, scholarships and loans.

Here are some quick reminders about the CSS Profile:

• It’s requires more specific information than the FAFSA
• It also requires a free $9 Base Fee + $16 Per School

College Financial Aid Consultant

While many people are fine with filling out their financial aid, many also turn to college financial aid consultant for advice or to assist them in filling out their form. The point here is to find someone to fill out the forms so you don’t have to (much like tax consultants). The point is to save time, energy, and the piece of mind knowing that your forms were correctly filled out (which will help maximize the amount you receive).

If you’ve looked at our site Go Financial Aid, you will realize that the majority of the information is FREE, but we keep the site running Ad-free because of our financial aid consulting services.

We don’t like doing our taxes, so we get others to do them for us. Why? Because it helps us save energy, time, and money. Now we can sidestep another tedious process: financial aid. If you feel this process is too long, tiresome, complex, or just annoying, consider looking into a financial aid consultant (which comes with a satisfaction guarantee). If you don’t have the money for one of our packages, that alright! We’ll keep providing tons of free information via this financial aid blog, twitter, and facebook! If you have any questions about financial aid or financial aid consultants, please send me an email!

Many people have trouble picking out the differences between the two when attempting to understand what they will be getting from each particular financial aid source. Since many private institutions require that the CSS PROFILE be filled out in addition to the FAFSA when applying for financial assistance, it will be of the utmost importance to you to understand the differences between the two forms. Here is a comparison of the two applications, both being extremely beneficial to you in obtaining the maximum amount of financial assistance:

CSS PROFILE v. FAFSA

• The CSS PROFILE is provided by the CollegeBoard, a nonprofit organization, while the FAFSA is provided by the federal government.
• Since the CSS PROFILE is not a federal government document, it will inform you of all the non federal financial assistance you are eligible for (loans, scholarships, grants, etc.)
• The CSS PROFILE is available for submission as early as the fall of each year, while the FAFSA is cannot be sent in until January 1st due to the updates of yearly taxes.
• The FAFSA asks fairly general questions about your personal finances. The CSS PROFILE, on the other hand, asks more specific questions about your family’s income and assets that relate specifically to your unique circumstances. You should also expect some supplemental questions provided by the particular colleges or scholarship programs you have selected. This being said, the CSS PROFILE focuses on your personal assets a great deal, while the FAFSA sticks more to annual income.
• The FAFSA does not take minimum student contribution into account, while the CSS PROFILE does.
• One of the most significant differences between the two forms is cost. The FAFSA is completely free, and the CSS PROFILE is not. It charges a $9.00 application fee, plus $16.00 per college or scholarship program that you want your results sent to. Do not let this fee scare you away from filling out the CSS PROFILE! Even if it is not required by your particular institution, it is definitely a beneficial option for receiving more financial aid in addition to federal loans, including money that does not need to be paid back (scholarships and grants).

After making the decision of which school you are going to attend, you should begin the financial aid process immediately. Since you will know the general cost for the school itself, you can make a rough estimate of the financial assistance needed in addition to any money you have already been saving. Here are some tips for properly applying the FAFSA document to your financial aid process:

• The earliest date to submit the FAFSA form is January 1st. Since financial aid is given out at a
  “first come first served” basis, do not hold off on submission. While filling out personal finance documents may not be how you want to spend your New Years, the earlier you submit your form, the better chance you have of receiving more aid.
• Some schools, especially private institutions, also require that you fill out a non-federal application for financial aid, like the CSS Profile. This form can be submitted as early as the fall, and requires a small fee. However, it will inform you of additional forms of aid eligible to you, like scholarships, non-federal loans and grants. Do not overlook filling out this form in the meantime, as it could surely reward you with useful information and additional financial assistance.
• Before even filling out the FAFSA, do a practice FAFSA online. This allows you to see what kinds of questions will be asked of you on the actual document, giving you a heads up on what information you will need to provide. Once you are aware of the personal information you will need, start getting it all together for when you fill out the real form. This will significantly cut down on the time you’ll be spending on the actual FAFSA.
• You should calculate your Expected Family Contribution (EFC) before finding out the exact amount on the FAFSA once it is returned to you. This will assist you in figuring out how much money you will be expected to contribute to the school of your choice, so you’ll know right away how much aid you will need in addition to the savings you already have. FAFSA Calculators are available online to give you a good estimate of what your EFC will be.
• After applying for the FAFSA, continue applying for other forms of financial aid. Do not solely depend on federal aid; you may not end up getting as much as you thought you would, and you don’t want to be stuck scrambling to find additional sources at the last minute. Apply for scholarships and grants, which reward you with money that you don’t have to pay back. If you filled out the CSS Profile, your results should help you greatly with this part of the process.
• Once you get your FAFSA back, complete the Student Aid Report (SAR) of your results and make any necessary corrections. Remember that errors on the FAFSA can be pretty costly toward your financial aid, so make sure to double check everything!
• After figuring out the amount of financial aid you will be receiving in the form of different kinds of loans (be it federal or non-federal), you must sign the Master Promissory Note (MPN), in which the student promises to repay the loans.
• You may also want to look into hiring a financial aid consultant to help guide you through the steps of this process. These professionals will take you step-by-step through the financial aid sequence, providing you with valuable information, filling out necessary paperwork and helping you find the best financial aid offers available to you.

• Nonprofit organizations like the College Board are always excellent places to start looking for scholarships and other forms of financial aid that are not required to be paid back. The website is easy to navigate, and will use your personal information to match you with all kinds of scholarship opportunities that fit for you.
• Practice FAFSA forms are available online for you to fill out before you even attempt to fill out the real thing. This will give you a first-hand look at what information you will need to have handy when filling out the actual document, which will in turn help you avoid making costly mistakes.

• EFC Calculators are also available online, so you can figure out a good estimate of your Expected Family Contribution before even filling out the FAFSA.
• Financial aid consultants are available to save you time and stress by assisting you in all the necessary paperwork in the financial aid process. Errors on your FAFSA and CSS Profile can cost you generous amounts of money in financial aid. A financial aid consultant will go over all of these documents with you, as well as keep you updated on upcoming deadlines. Consultants will also make sure that the offers you’re receiving are fair, and assist you in finding the right options for your financial status.
• Financial aid advisors are also available to help counsel students and their families on financial aid eligibility, application processes, costs of different programs and evaluation of particular financial needs. Advisors are available to answer any questions you may have pertaining to financial aid, and will also guide you through the process, as well as helping to prepare all the documents you need for any kind of financial aid, scholarships and grants alike. Most education institutions provide advising assistance to prospective or current students and their families.

Finding sources of aid for college, as well as actually obtaining the money can be pretty challenging and just downright confusing.  However, there are many college financial aid services out there to help you get the aid you need, while at the same time making it as stress-free as possible.  Here are a few resources that would be considered forms of college financial aid services that can be of some assistance to you:

Scholarships

There is tons of scholarship money available out there, and it’s money that you don’t have to pay back. While filling out applications and writing essays for scholarships is time consuming, it is definitely worth the time and effort to try to get monetary rewards.

Loans

There are many different kinds of loans offered by the federal government, state governments, private companies, etc.

Military Aid

If you are interested in joining the military but also want to go to school, the military offers great financial aid programs, such as ROTC, that allows you to go to school along with training for a military position and getting paid at the same time.

Financial Aid Applications

The two most common financial aid applications are the FAFSA and the CSS Profile, which many colleges require you fill out.  These will tell you how much financial aid you are eligible to receive, so you can plan your payment plans accordingly.

Financial Aid Advisors/Consultants

If all of these sources of financial aid seem like a lot of work being thrown at you, you should definitely consider finding a financial aid advisor or consultant to help you with the process of getting aid for school.  These professionals will complete most of the paperwork for you, and guide you step by step through the financial aid processes, so you can be sure to have everything completed correctly and efficiently.

Online Calculators

If you want to figure out your EFC (Expected Family Contribution) before even filling out the FAFSA form, there are FAFSA Calculators available online that can give you a base estimate of what this amount will be, so you will know around how much this amount would come out to on the FAFSA before even filling it out.  There are also practice FAFSAs online that you can fill out before you fill out the actual document, which will show you all the information you will need to provide on the FAFSA itself.

 College Scholarship Service Profile! This is the application that allows students to apply for financial aid. It gives private members of the College Board a look at the finances of a student and their family. It goes much further into detail than the FAFSA form does.

 Why is it important?

As always, there is an emphasis on getting the most financial aid possible. This form is used to determine preliminary eligible for institutional scholarships, grants, and loans.

How much?

 While the FAFSA is free, there is a cost for your CSS Profile. There is a $24 fee for the first college (which includes a $5 registration free and $18 processing fee). For each additional college, you will have to pay the processing fee.

Who uses a CSS Profile?

 A lot of colleges that offer early acceptance admissions will use a CSS Profile. Why? Because students are offered admission before January 1^st, which means they are unable to complete a FAFSA early. The form allows colleges to make preliminary decisions regarding financial aid. It can later be edited according to the FAFSA.