Will missing CSS Profile deadline by 4 days affect my FAFSA eligibility for early admission?

Take a deep breath first - the CSS Profile and FAFSA are two SEPARATE systems. Missing the CSS deadline won't affect your FAFSA eligibility at all. Your FAFSA will still be processed normally and you'll still be eligible for federal aid (Pell Grants, federal loans, work-study). What the CSS Profile affects is your eligibility for institutional aid (scholarships and grants from the college itself). Being 4 days late isn't great, but it's not necessarily a deal-breaker either. I would definitely email the financial aid office at Boston College - explain the situation briefly, apologize, and ask if they'll still consider your CSS Profile. Many schools have some flexibility with these deadlines, especially if it's just a few days.

Same thing happend to me last yr with Dartmouth, missed CSS by 5 days but still got institutional aid! defintely email them asap and be honest. and ya FAFSA is completely separate so ur good there

I'd definitely recommend calling them instead of just emailing. Financial aid offices are swamped with emails this time of year and yours might get buried. When I had a similar issue with my SAI calculation, I spent DAYS trying to get through to someone on the phone. Finally used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me through to an actual human at the financial aid office in minutes instead of waiting on hold forever. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ Seriously worth it when you're dealing with something time-sensitive like this. The college financial aid officer I spoke with told me they often have a grace period for CSS Profile submissions that isn't advertised.

I work in a college financial aid office (not at BC though). Here's what you should know: 1. FAFSA and CSS Profile are completely separate. Your federal aid eligibility through FAFSA is not affected by your CSS Profile status. 2. For the CSS Profile being 4 days late - most schools have what we call "soft deadlines" vs. "hard deadlines." Early admission CSS deadlines are often soft deadlines. 3. What to do: Email AND call the financial aid office. Be concise and apologetic but not dramatic. Simply state: "I submitted my CSS Profile on [date] which was 4 days after the posted deadline. I'm requesting confirmation that my profile will still be considered for institutional aid." 4. Document everything - get the name of whoever you speak with and follow up with a thank you email summarizing what they told you. Finally, many schools have a small grace period built in specifically because they know students sometimes miss deadlines. Don't panic yet.

your all giving WRONG INFO css and fafsa ARE connected!!! my cousin missed css deadline last year and got NO AID AT ALL even tho he did fafsa!!

When I applied to colleges a couple years ago, I had a whole mess with financial aid documents. Honestly the whole system is designed to confuse people! I sent in my CSS Profile for Cornell like a week late and my FAFSA on time, and still got aid from both. But then I missed a random verification form deadline by 2 days for another school and they were super strict about it. It really depends on the individual school policy and how many applicants they have that year. Boston College is pretty competitive so they might be stricter than some other places. But definitely worth explaining your situation and asking nicely!

Let me clear up some confusion here about the CSS Profile and FAFSA: 1. They are completely separate systems. FAFSA determines your eligibility for federal aid programs - Pell Grants, Work Study, Direct Subsidized/Unsubsidized Loans, and is run by Federal Student Aid (part of Dept of Education). 2. The CSS Profile determines eligibility for institutional aid (money directly from the college) and is administered by College Board (same folks who do the SAT). 3. Each school sets their own policies regarding CSS Profile deadlines. Many private colleges have some flexibility, especially for early admission deadlines. 4. For Boston College specifically, they state on their website that while they prefer to receive the CSS Profile by their posted deadlines, they will accept applications after the deadline with the understanding that aid offers may be delayed and funds may be more limited. 5. Your Student Aid Index (SAI) from FAFSA is not affected by your CSS Profile status. I recommend calling BC's financial aid office directly during business hours. Be prepared to wait on hold if calling during peak times.

UPDATE: I got through to BC's financial aid office! They said they DO allow a grace period for CSS Profiles for early admission applicants. The person I spoke with said as long as it's submitted before they start reviewing my application (which likely hasn't happened yet), I should still be considered for institutional aid. They also confirmed what many of you said - my FAFSA is completely separate and not affected at all by the CSS deadline. Such a relief! Thank you all for your help and advice!

So happy to see this update! This is exactly why it's always worth reaching out to the financial aid office directly when you have concerns. Many students assume the worst and don't even try to explain their situation. Your experience will definitely help other students who find themselves in similar situations. Boston College sounds like they handle these cases reasonably - hopefully other schools reading this thread will see how a little flexibility can go a long way in helping stressed students!