@parentsofsboys I applied this past application cycle, so unless the financial aid forms changed this year (which is unlikely,) my info should still apply.
The FAFSA doesn’t have any distinction between colleges on your list, but note that some states require their school to be listed on a certain part of your list (1st, one of the top 3 etc.) You should be able to find this information on the US FAFSA Student Aid website.
The CSS Profile doesn’t distinguish between EA vs. RD, but DOES distinguish between Early Decision and RD (likely b/c it affects how the financial aid office downloads documents from the system.) Also note that some schools require students to submit documents via IDOC or through their own application portal (Penn does this,) so make sure to check the financial aid website for the schools your son is applying to.
Regarding when to apply for financial aid, it depends: some schools have a HARD deadline before decisions release while others recommend completing by their posted deadline in-order to have your award finalized by the time decisions will release, although they will still calculate your award (just will take time,) even if you submit your documents after being admitted. Financial Aid websites are a good place to find this information, as they usually will have an FAQ or an admitted student page that says something like “If you haven’t applied for FA yet, submit your documents ASAP!” International applicants are the exception to this, as many need-aware colleges require international students requiring financial aid to note this on their application to take into account during the admissions process.
Hope that helps!