SLUMOM

The FAFSA does not usually ask about your car payment. Schools that require the CSS Profile have their own supplements & each college may ask specific questions about your cars, the market value of them, and WHAT is owed on them. I have had to put this information down on the CSS Profile before.

You only need to fill out a CSS Profile if the college (usually a private college) asks you to do so. I usually sign up for it in November of the child's high school senior year, and then use estimates. For example with D#3 right now, I know that she wants to apply to Bennington College, which has a deadline of January 3rd for the CSS Profile. I will do the CSS Profile in December with estimated income figures & taxes for all the schools she is applying to who require it.

The CSS Profile does not allow you to correct your income figures & taxes etc. YOU will have to send a letter to each Profile school with the corrected numbers yourself, once your income tax returns are completed. Try to get your income tax returns done ASAP in early February. It is in your best interests to do so.

The earliest the FAFSA can be done is January 2nd, 2009. You can use estimates on the FAFSA & then go in & make corrections with the FAFSA once your tax returns are completed. All the corrections will then be forwarded electronically to the colleges.

I have found over the years that doing the CSS Profile in December is a good idea. In February the College Board website seems to be very busy & you can have trouble getting your CSS Profile processed.

I hope this helps!