Beyond the School Desk: FAFSA / CSS Profile - What are they?

FAFSA / CSS PROFILE – WHAT ARE THEY?

Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
Official FAFSA Web Address:  www.fafsa.ed.gov

The FAFSA, or Free Application for Federal Student Aid, is a form that you must fill out in order to determine your eligibility for federal financial aid (including grants, loans, and work-study programs). States may award additional non-federal aid based on the information you submit in your FAFSA, and colleges and universities also use this information to decide what type of financial aid package they will award to you.

January 1st, of your high school senior year, is the first day that you may begin filling out a FAFSA. Each college has its own deadline for the FAFSA, so check with the colleges you are applying to ahead of time. The FAFSA may be completed either online or with paper forms you mail in. Visit www.fafsa.ed.gov to download the paper application. 

APPLICATION PROCESS BEGINS:  JANUARY 1ST   

COST:  FREE

PIN NUMBER / What is a PIN?

A PIN is a 4-digit number that is used in combination with your Social Security Number, name, and date of birth to identify you as someone who has the right to access your own personal information on Federal Student Aid Web sites, such as FAFSA on the Web. If you are a parent and you want to electronically sign a FAFSA for your child, you need your own PIN. If you have more than one child attending college, you can use the same PIN to sign their applications.

You should register for a pin number around Oct. - Dec. of your senior year of high school.

To register for a pin number: www.pin.ed.gov/PINWebApp/pinindex.jsp

Questions:  http://www.pin.ed.gov/pinfaqs.htm

CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE®
Official Web Site:  https://profileonline.collegeboard.com/index.jsp

In addition to filling out a FAFSA, many colleges will require you to submit a CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE® online. This form is very similar to the FAFSA, and much of the requested information is also the same.

The CSS/PROFILE® helps colleges and universities to award non-federal student aid funds.

Not every school will require you to complete this form, so check with the schools you are applying to and find out whether or not you need to fill out a CSS/PROFILE®.

APPLICATION PROCESS BEGINS: OCTOBER 1  COST:  $25.00 (approx.)

NOTE of Caution:  We tend to search for a website using a search engines - But DO NOT USE A SEARCH ENGINE TO SEARCH FOR THE FAFSA.  If you do you will come up with a log of links for FAFSA. If you are not careful you can be filling posting your information of sites that claim to be FAFSA but in the end you will ending up paying to apply.  Remember the key word:  FREE APPLICATION. 

Reference:  Information gathered from: http://www.scholarscript.com/fafsa_css.php