Senior Year Funding Timeline

September
Private Sector Scholorships
The student should continue their search for private-sector awards available in their local community as well as continue to complete and submit applications.

October
CSS/Profile Funding Application
The family should complete and submit the CSS/Profile Financial Aid Application, if it is required from any institution where the student has applied
for admission.

November
FAFSA
Family should make final preparations for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). For filiing as of January 1st.

December
Private Sector Scholarships
Students should continue the private-sector- scholarship application process.

January
FAFSA
The family should complete and submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which is required from all students seeding funding for college. The family will use actual asset figures and estimated income figures from the previous year to complete the FAFSA.
Scholarship Offers
The student should accept all private-sector scholarship offers that they receive.

February
CSS/Profile Confirmation Report
If a CSS/Profile was required by an institution and filed, the family should receive a Confirmation Report.
Student Aid Report
The submitted FAFSA will produce a Student Aid Report (SAR), which the family will receive directly from the Federal Government’s processing center.
The SAR should be checked for accuracy based on the answers that were given on the original FAFSA.
College Admission Offers
The student should accept all Offers of Admission they receive.
Federal Tax Returns and W2s
The original FAFSA should be updated to include current year income figures as soon as the family’s Federal Income Tax Returns have been completed.

March
Housing Deposits or Extensions
The student should pay all necessary Housing Deposits at their six final college selections, or request an extension until after they have made their
final college choice.

April
Updated FAFSA
The updated FAFSA will produce another Student Aid Report (SAR), which will be sent directly to the family. The new SAR should also be checked for accuracy based on the answers given when the FAFSA was updated.
College Award Letters
The student will receive a separate Award Letter (offer of funding) from each college or university, where they have been offered admission. Each funding offer should be evaluated to determine if the amount of gift aid offered is typical for a student with similar financial circumstances. If the amount is low, the student and family should ask that the offer be reevaluated by the school’s Financial Aid Officer.

May
Final College Selection by May 1st
After all Award Letters have been received, evaluated, appealed) if applicable and appeal results received, the student should combine the funding information with the information obtained during their campus visits to determine their final college choice.
Loan Applications
After the student has made their final college choice, the student and parents should complete their sections of all required Loan Application(s) to the institution’s financial aid office for processing.

June
Notify Non-Selected Colleges
The student should notify all colleges, which were not selected, and inform them of the fact that the student will be attending another institution and they are relinquishing their earlier financial aid acceptance.