Hey Skylar! I'm actually a current BU student who works part-time in the financial aid office (can't give too many details obviously), but I wanted to give you some insider perspective that might help calm your nerves a bit. First off - you're definitely not the first person this has happened to, and sadly won't be the last. We see this situation pretty regularly, especially with CSS Profile since the notification emails sometimes end up in spam folders or get missed. Here's what I can tell you: BU does have flexibility built into their system for exactly these situations. When you call tomorrow, be honest about what happened and ask specifically about their "late submission consideration" process. They can often work with students who missed the deadline due to communication issues, especially if your FAFSA was submitted on time (which shows good faith effort). A few practical tips for your call: - Call right at 9 AM when they open - shorter wait times and staff is fresh - Have your BU ID, FAFSA confirmation, and CSS Profile login info ready - Be polite but persistent - if the first person can't help, ask to speak with a senior counselor - Ask about emergency/hardship funds even if CSS Profile options don't work out Don't lose hope yet! The office really does try to work with students when they can. Good luck tomorrow! 🍀

Hey Skylar! I'm a current BU student and was in almost the exact same situation two years ago - missed the CSS Profile deadline by like 3 days and was absolutely spiraling thinking my financial aid was gone forever. Here's what happened when I called: the financial aid counselor was actually super understanding and told me they have a "grace period review" process for situations like this. I had to write a brief explanation (literally just two paragraphs about missing the email notification) and they accepted my late CSS Profile submission. The key things that helped: - Called the morning after I realized my mistake (sounds like you're doing this!) - Was completely honest about what happened - Had my FAFSA confirmation number ready - Asked specifically about late submission policies I did get aid - not quite as much as I might have gotten if I'd been on time, but enough to make BU affordable. The whole process took about 2-3 weeks longer than normal, but it worked out. Don't panic yet! BU's financial aid office deals with this more than you'd think. Go in tomorrow with confidence and advocate for yourself. Worst case scenario, they say no and you explore other options, but there's a really good chance they'll work with you. You've got this! 💙❤️