I’ve heard stories about schools making you send in additional questions/essays regarding need/merit based aid. Is that true for schools in CA and CO (regardless of residency status?)
The additional questionnaire you’re talking about is the CSS Profile, which is not generally used by public universities. It is used by many private colleges, including some of the private colleges in both CA and CO, to determine your eligibility for need-based aid. Those colleges that are the most generous with need-based aid use the Profile to decide which students are eligible for such aid. It doesn’t have essays, just questions about student and family finances.
The Profile isn’t necessary if all you want is state aid (Cal Grants for CA residents) or federal aid.
And some schools also have additional essays if you’re applying for specific merit scholarships - and this would include some public universities. For information about specific universities in CA and CO, look at their websites.