<p>Which will private universities such Wake Forest, Georgetown, and Notre Dame primarily use? Or which value will their financial aid packages meet the closest?</p>
<p>Universities that require both FAFSA and CSS generally use FAFSA to determine eligibility for federal aid (for instance the Pell grant requires a FAFSA EFC below 4618, it must be awarded based on the FAFSA EFC), and CSS to determine eligibility for their own institutional aid.</p>
<p>We found that our FAFSA EFC almost exactly matches what our kid’s university expects us to contribute. (It uses the CSS Profile in addition to the FAFSA) But, we have simple finances, and, apart from our home, not much in the way of assets. We’ve been pleased, and in 9 short months we’ll be DONE paying for college and can look ahead to saving more for retirement. ;)</p>