Here are common mistakes made when answering the CSS Profile questions:
DO I NEED OEM APPLICATION PROFILE UPDATE
If there are errors or changes, you have to submit the update in writing to each school that your student applied to with the CSS Profile. However, the CSS Profile can only be submitted once. You can adjust and update the FAFSA online anytime. Once the calculation is completed, they will send you an award package based on the results.īecause different schools have different priorities, you can get very different offers even though you filled out the same CSS information for each school.Ĭommon CSS Profile Mistakes How can you correct CSS Profile errors? There will be variations in how the schools use home equity, private school expenses for younger siblings, multiple kids in college, and more. These calculations can be different from how the FAFSA calculates your EFC. Help your student be on top of financial aid deadlines, along with other dates for college admissions.Įach school has their own calculations when it comes to determining the expected family contribution and financial need for each student. If your student is applying early admissions, deadlines for the CSS Profile are likely to be much earlier than if your student were applying regular decision. You don’t have to complete the entire CSS profile at one time.Įach the website for each school your student is applying to for their specific CSS Profile deadline.
The good news is that you can save your progress and come back to it. The CSS form is available on October 1 st of each year, and should be completed at least two weeks before the earliest school deadline to ensure you have time. It allows you to share more of your story and give some context to the financial information you’ve provided. This section can be one of the most important on the CSS form. You will be asked about elder care obligations, financial needs for other children in home and more. Consider outside scholarships, military benefits, etc. Be honest but don’t wildly over- or under-estimate.
DO I NEED OEM APPLICATION PROFILE HOW TO
However, schools that award their own aid often need more information in order to make decisions about how to hand out that money.Īs a result, the CSS form is required by those schools.
The FAFSA is the standard for federal financial aid. They ask for the CSS form because they feel that the FAFSA doesn’t give them enough information to make nuanced aid decisions. The CSS is an additional standardized financial aid form that is required by about 400 schools. Here are some common CSS Profile questions and their answers…
However, other questions need more detail. This gives further explanation and helps you understand what’s being asked for. Many CSS Profile questions can be answered by hovering over the question mark near each question. Fortunately, although the CSS is long and detailed, it’s also pretty straightforward. Realizing that you need to submit the CSS Profile along with the FAFSA for your student’s financial aid application can be a bit intimidating.