Lafayette families with college-bound students can get free help navigating financial aid forms at a webinar on Tuesday, Oct. 13.
The Acalanes High School Parents Club is partnering with College Aid Pro, which has led similar financial aid sessions before, to present "FAFSA & CSS Profile Made Simple." The online session starts at 6 p.m. Pacific.
The webinar will walk families through the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and the CSS Profile, two forms that determine how much aid a student receives. Topics include the key differences between the two forms and who needs to file which, common mistakes that cost families aid money, how to handle questions about income, assets and household size, and deadlines families need to meet.
The Acalanes Parents Club said the forms can be confusing but that filling them out correctly is one of the most effective ways families can increase their financial aid.
The webinar falls just after the FAFSA's expected opening. The 2027–28 FAFSA is expected to open around Oct. 1, returning to its traditional fall schedule, according to SmartJamb, a financial aid resource site. Many selective private colleges that require the CSS Profile set priority financial aid deadlines in November or December. California's Cal Grant deadline falls on March 2, 2027, according to the California Student Aid Commission, but state grant funding can run out before that date. Filing earlier in the cycle gives families a better shot at a larger pool of remaining grant dollars.
The CSS Profile distributes more than $14 billion in nonfederal aid each year, according to College Board. The form is free for families earning up to $100,000 a year.
Families who cannot attend the live session can still register and receive a recording afterward.
Registration is available at here.
