Suggest edit — Financial Aid

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title: Financial Aid
visibility: public
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# Financial Aid

## Regular Decision, First Year Deadlines and Timeline for Domestic Students

1. **Everybody:** Fill out the FAFSA (if divorced, custodial parent only)
2. **Those with colleges that require CSS:** Fill out CSS Profile
3. **Those in California:** Complete Cal Grants and GPA Verification Form
4. **Those with colleges that require CSS:** Fill out IDOC

## Key Applications and Deadlines

| Application | Link | Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) | [fafsa.ed.gov](http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/) | Variable by college/state; before March 2 in California |
| CSS Profile and IDOC | [collegeboard.com](https://profileonline.collegeboard.com/) | College-specific deadlines |

## What These Forms Mean

**FAFSA** is like a bare-bones "Common Application" for financial aid that most Universities require.

**CSS** is a much more detailed financial aid app from the College Board that many Universities require. It has 2 parts: the Profile, which contains basic information and estimated income, and the IDOC, a report of tax documents, which is due later.

## Additional Resources

- Princeton's financial aid application information
- 5 Tips for Getting Financial Aid for Graduate School

See also: [[QuestBridge]], [[Scholarships]], [[Gates Millennium Scholarship]], [[UC Berkeley Regents]]