Your Completed Financial Aid Application includes:
- CSS Financial Aid PROFILE(s)
- Income Documentation (IDOC)
Retain copies of everything you submit for your records!
About the forms
1. CSS Financial Aid PROFILE
Complete the CSS Financial Aid PROFILE online at profileonline.collegeboard.com, available on October 1, 2011. The fee for the initial application and one college or program report is $25. Additional reports are $16. We do not provide fee waivers to applicants. You will be asked to list the colleges and universities who should receive your PROFILE data; so, be sure to include our CSS code (3965) in your list. We receive data within two weeks of submission and your PROFILE is due in our office by our published deadline. Early Decision applicants, we understand that you will need to complete the PROFILE with estimated income data.
Siblings enrolled in qualifying degree programs:
The number of dependent children enrolled in qualifying degree programs significantly affects the calculation of your parent contribution; therefore, the PROFILE asks you to report any siblings enrolled in qualifying degree programs. In most cases, if one or more of your siblings is enrolled in an undergraduate program, your parent contribution will be less than if only you are enrolled at Williams.
If you have a sibling whose undergraduate plans are undecided when you complete your financial aid application, please update us in writing as soon as possible with his or her final plans. Also, update us in writing as soon as possible if your sibling changes his or her enrollment status during the academic year. In your update, we will need the following information for any sibling who decides to enroll in an undergraduate program:
- Name of institution to be attended
- Itemized cost of attendance (i.e., tuition, fees, room, board, etc.)
- Amount of grant, scholarship, and/or stipend awarded
Divorced or separated parents:
If your parents are divorced or separated, your custodial parent (i.e., with whom you lived longer during the twelve months prior to the date you complete your financial aid application) completes the PROFILE. Your noncustodial parent completes the CSS Noncustodial PROFILE. Once your custodial parent completes the PROFILE, the College Board will email you (not your parents) an user ID, password, and instructions for the Noncustodial PROFILE. You should forward this email to your noncustodial parent as soon as possible.
2. Income Documentation (IDOC)
Starting in February 2012, the College Board will collect your family’s federal tax returns and other documents on behalf of Williams through its Institutional Documentation Service (IDOC). The College Board will notify you of our IDOC requirements after you submit your PROFILE. If you submit before February, you will receive an email notification in February. If you submit during or after February, you will receive both an acknowledgement web page and a confirmation email. Both web page and email will include IDOC instructions, your IDOC ID, and a link to the IDOC website (https://idoc.collegeboard.com).
You will be instructed to compile the following materials and mail them as a packet to the College Board IDOC Service Center, P.O. Box 4017, Mount Vernon, IL 62864. If any items are missing (including the cover sheet), your packet will be returned to you unprocessed. Your packet should not be mailed to our office otherwise it will be returned to you unprocessed.
- IDOC cover sheet: The cover sheet is a one-paged form pre-filled with your identifying information and serves as a control document in the IDOC system. A hyperlink to your personalized cover sheet is included in your IDOC email so you may download and print this form.
- Parents’ federal and provincial tax returns, signed by your parents: A signed copy of your parents’ (and stepparents’) 2011 federal and provincial tax returns, including all statements and schedules. If a parent or stepparent is not required to file, submit the 2011 Parent Non-Tax Filer Statement in place of the tax returns.
- Parents’ T-4 forms: A copy of your parents’ (and stepparents’) 2011 T-4 forms from all employers.
- Student’s federal and provincial tax returns, signed by you: A signed copy of your (the student’s) 2011 federal and provincial tax returns, including all statements and schedules, if applicable.
- Student’s T-4 and W-2 forms: A copy of your (the student’s) 2011 T-4 and W-2 forms from all employers, including Williams College. The Williams Payroll Office mails your W-2 form to your Paresky box by February 1 each year. You may print a duplicate copy from your PeopleSoft account in Self Service > Williams Employment > View W-2 Forms.
Early Decision Applicants:
In addition to the IDOC materials listed above, you must submit signed copies of your and your parents’ (including stepparents’) 2010 federal income tax returns (including all statements and schedules), Forms T-4, and business tax returns (if applicable) by November 15. Send these documents directly to our office, not to IDOC.
Self-Employed Parents:
If a parent or stepparent is self-employed or holds interest in a corporation, partnership, and/or farm, you are required to submit a signed copy of the 2011 business tax return, including all statements and schedules, for each business or farm.
Divorced or separated parents:
Both your custodial and noncustodial parents (including stepparents) are expected to supply the required application materials to the IDOC Service Center. If they prefer to send their information separately, you may forward a copy of the IDOC cover sheet to your noncustodial parent and request that he or she submit his or her materials directly to the IDOC Service Center.
