Need Based Aid/CSS Deadlines Forum

[mrtux45]

Dropped the ball and now realizing that priority deadlines were Feb 15th at a lot of schools. I was waiting on merit aid and it slipped my mind between my job, life, etc.

Any chance this is a soft deadline, and what's the difference between "priority" and non priority for need based aid.. especially since schools aren't typically generous about it. My parents are textbook middle class, helped some with undergrad, but I do have UG loans and I'm expected to cover law school.

Would it make a difference for me to call fin aid office at schools tomorrow? Stressing about this and I'm not sure if I need to be.

Thanks TLS

[brinicolec]

Most I've seen say it's the PRIORITY deadline so you can submit after that, but you'll just be getting some from whatever funds are left after they distribute to all those who submitted prior to the deadline (assuming that you qualify)...

[mrtux45]

Update for anyone who may be in the same boat: Feb 15th seems like a soft deadline! Don't stress but get the forms in ASAP

[pleasesendhelp]

I filled out FAFSA, but I thought it was best to wait till after admittance to fill out CSS. I heard that some schools require you to provide parental information while others dont, but if you provide info for it regardless, the schools that dont will consider your parental info, thus less money.

is there a hard deadline??

[brinicolec]

I filled out FAFSA, but I thought it was best to wait till after admittance to fill out CSS. I heard that some schools require you to provide parental information while others dont, but if you provide info for it regardless, the schools that dont will consider your parental info, thus less money.

is there a hard deadline??

I think this varies depending on the school. But again, I think most schools see it as deadline and then people after that are getting it on a rolling basis

[needbasedlaw]

Here are some deadlines I've found so far (whether they are hard or soft, I'm not sure):

Berkeley: 3/2
Columbia: 3/1
Duke: 3/15
Georgetown: 3/8?
Harvard: None?
Penn: 3/1
Stanford: 3/15
UCLA: 3/2
Vanderbilt: 2/15 (soft)
Yale: 3/15

[needbasedlaw]

What is unclear to me is if all these deadlines I mentioned also are for the CSS profiles and if these are in fact hard deadlines even if you are still waiting for an admissions decision.

Does anyone know if there are schools that I listed above that DO have hard deadlines that require you to submit need-based aid forms before a possible decision?

[Earlskies]

What is unclear to me is if all these deadlines I mentioned also are for the CSS profiles and if these are in fact hard deadlines even if you are still waiting for an admissions decision.

Does anyone know if there are schools that I listed above that DO have hard deadlines that require you to submit need-based aid forms before a possible decision?

Also, for some of these schools I need to include parental information and others I do not. It seems like the CSS profile lumps the requirements of your schools together and by submitting my CSS profile for Georgetown/Penn/Columbia/Duke would mean reporting parental information to a school like UCLA/Vandy. Is there a way to avoid this? Can I submit multiple CSS Profiles?

Does anyone know anything about this? I have the same question.

[jstans]

Do some schools not do CSS? I was looking around the financial aid websites for need-based CSS information like LSAC said to do and found nothing on my top choice. Is this normal? My family is middle class so I don't even know if I would qualify.

[needbasedlaw]

Do some schools not do CSS? I was looking around the financial aid websites for need-based CSS information like LSAC said to do and found nothing on my top choice. Is this normal? My family is middle class so I don't even know if I would qualify.

Yah, I don't think Harvard or Yale have CSS but have their own versions of forms you submit after acceptance. UCLA also doesn't I don't think.

[jstans]

Do some schools not do CSS? I was looking around the financial aid websites for need-based CSS information like LSAC said to do and found nothing on my top choice. Is this normal? My family is middle class so I don't even know if I would qualify.

Yah, I don't think Harvard or Yale have CSS but have their own versions of forms you submit after acceptance. UCLA also doesn't I don't think.

Gotcha. I've already gotten my finances lined up for the most part with merit offers, stafford, etc. but CSS totally slipped my mind. At this point I don't even know if it's worth pursuing.