<p>We have never done a CCS. Is that required for financial aid?</p>
<p>@ljmom
Not all schools require CSS Profile. Mostly private schools require them in addition to FAFSA. CSS is more extensive than FAFSA. It asks almost everything that you have: primary home, inverstment home, cars, IRA ROTH IRA, Annuity, 529, 401K, 403B, life insurance, etc.etc.</p>
<p>Thanks @2018dad, We only applied to UCs… so we do not need this.</p>
<p>@AvonHSDad - looking at Vandy website, I thought their CSS deadline was 3 Feb, did I miss something?</p>
<p>Happy news from the indoor track front! Son '14 qualified for states in the 1000 (2:38.39) and 1600 (4:28.57) Shattered his previous bests in the events, too. He’s pretty pumped. So it will be a very happy weekend here!</p>
<p>^ It sounds like UAH got a great runner! Congrats!</p>
<p>Woo Hoo!! Congrats to momreads Son '14!! Off to States!</p>
<p>
My error. It is the 3rd. I was working from memory (bad idea!) of the 5 schools that we are sending the CSS to and Vandy is the 3rd. It was Lehigh that listed February 1st. In any event, I am glad to have it behind me.</p>
<p>
Try it if you own a business or are self employed. Mine totaled 17 pages when printed out! They want shoe size, shirt size, pants size, favorite flavor of vodka … You get the picture! LOL</p>
<p>Congrats to 2018dad, momreads, vandyeyes, 2014novamom, and everyone else whose kiddos have scored an acceptance, scholarship or award.</p>
<p>Just ***59 days ***until the SS Indecision sets sail. 
</p>
<p>@AvonHSDad
Ooh, I feel your pain. Yep, I had it relatively easy. Congrats on getting it done!</p>
<p>Thanks, AvonHSDad! Whew, was beginning to think I was close to missing the deadline. Just been a busy day here with 20-yr old’s b’day, and S’14 off to another party. Have filled out the Profile, but just wanted to check it over one last time before submitting. Can’t begin to imagine having to complete it if we owned a business!</p>
<p>As I was filling out the CSS, I was kind of laughing … 0,0,0,0 No, 0 0 0 0 0, No, 0 0 0 0… like if I had all those assets or my kids had trust funds, would we be applying for Financial Aid? And it doesn’t let you put your house value as lower than what you owe anymore. Hello? Anybody who purchased a home in Michigan 10-15 years ago is under water. Our home values were cut in half. I ended up putting the value equal to the amount owed, but I wrote about it in the special circumstances section. </p>
<p>I am doing the happy dance tonite - did FAFSA with estimated figures tonite (unfortunately 1 of his schools has a Feb 1 deadline and we haven’t yet done taxes; just got W2 on Friday) and our EFC is under $10K for next year! This is doable; he is applying for several scholarships, he already has two jobs lined up for the summer and this is about what it has been for his sister. Hopefully his first choice, Tulane, will cough up a little more merit aid and grants, and not lean as heavily on loans as projected in their NPC. And of course fingers still crossed for the lottery school, Pomona - they meet full financial need without loans - but of course he is just gaga about Tulane.</p>
<p>It’s really annoying to have to supply CSS info on Feb 1 or earlier, as I never even get my W2 until Jan 31, and we get our taxes done as soon as possible after by our tax guy (I’ve had the same one since I was 26), and usually by the Feb 15 deadline required by many schools. It seems a little early, since CSS does not allow you to modify information as the FAFSA does. You have to print it out, write in corrections by hand, and send them off to the school, which creates more work for them anyway. Why not have a Feb 15 deadline, like the majority of schools do. Yes, Occidental, I am talking to you…</p>
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<p>@1dilecon - collegegreenlight dot com imho has the best scholarship screening system, and nicest website. It tends not to dump junk in the mailbox like some of the others, and has come up with some very decent scholarship possibilities. I also have been scouring anything possible, from my teacher’s union to even - yes, it’s a little off the wall, but he qualifies - a scholarship from the United Daughters of the Confederacy. His high school has a scholarship page as well, and there are some local ones that he will apply for. He grouses at more essays, but if he can cut several thousand off his debt, it will be worth it!</p>
<p>Congratulations to those with acceptances and good scholarship news! And congrats to parents who have survived the Profile! I’m still working on mine …ugh. Luckily my first deadline isn’t until the 15th. </p>
<p>D got her first acceptance yesterday to Sewanee. She was so happy but she is trying not to get too excited because she knows her attendance is dependent on money. I doubt she will get a lot of merit aid, but we are hoping for some. Like many others on here we are in that difficult place between being unlikely to qualify for aid yet not being able to afford the full tuition. In D’s case, she will hurt by income and assets of a non-contributing step parent, and her noncustodial parent will be of little help.</p>
<p>Good luck everyone on the scholarship competitions! </p>
<p>@1dilecon Thanks for the scholarship tip. The hunt is on!</p>
<p>I think it is ridiculous that any of them expect the FAFSA and CSS before mid-February. Most schools that have you do the Profile also require actual copies of the tax forms be sent to them so they get the actual data anyway. I checked the “will file” box and figure they’ll do the corrections. And for these schools with 30,000 applicants who don’t announce acceptances until March- do they really figure the Financial Aid for all of those kids in case they get in? That seems like an awful waste of resources. </p>
<p>I have tax forms that don’t have to be mailed to me before Feb 15th. Sure, I filed the FAFSA a while ago, but it’ snot like a school can do anything with it until I have firm numbers. And let’s not forget, folks, that the DRT isn’t available until the IRS has processed your return (a week or two AFTER you file), and if you happen to owe, it’s not available until after your check to the IRS clears. </p>
<p>The fun just never ends.</p>
<p>Ordinarylives,</p>
<p>Best match of screen name to avatar so far!!</p>
<p>Does anyone else find it ironic that the CSS requires you to pay a fee to apply for financial aid?</p>
<p>Fortunately my husband takes on the financial part of the college process. He got our taxes done yesterday and has been on top of the CSS Profile deadlines. go2girl does the heavy lifting and I work on finding the scholarships, etc. Thanks for the tip, moonmaid. Fortunately my husband’s company offers a pretty substantial scholarhship to its employees children so she will have to get on that one before the mid-March deadline. i’m giving her a little breather since she’s gotten such good news this week. It’s nice to see a happy, smiley go2girl again!</p>
<p>Congrats to all on the good news this week! I’m sure more good news will be rolling in the week ahead. I love reading everyone’s posts and sharing in their good fortune! Thanks to all for your kind words.</p>