What Is the CSS Profile?
The CSS Profile, administered by the College Board, is an application for institutional financial aid required by over 300 colleges, universities, and scholarship organizations.
A comprehensive list of all universities that use it can be found here.
Unlike the FAFSA, which is used for federal aid, the CSS Profile provides a more holistic view of a family’s financial situation, allowing for the inclusion of unique or extenuating circumstances that may impact their ability to pay for college.
Importance and Challenges
To be completely transparent, completing the CSS Profile can be challenging, as the form can be tedious and long winding. However, it is crucial for colleges and universities to gather detailed financial data to distribute their limited aid equitably.
The form is especially important for private colleges and institutions with large endowments, and can potentially save you thousands of dollars. Some colleges even require the CSS profile to assess eligibility for scholarship programs, like Harvard and Yale.
For some families, the CSS Profile leads to institutional scholarships and a lower net price for college attendance. However, for others, it may not significantly impact the financial aid they receive.
Families are encouraged to use net price calculators to estimate the total cost of attendance, taking potential financial aid into account.
Steps to Complete the CSS Profile
1. Make a College Board Account. Students with an existing College Board account from taking the SAT can use the same account to complete the CSS Profile.
2. Gather Necessary Documentation: Families will need tax documents, W-2 forms, records of untaxed income and benefits, assets, and bank statements from the same year as used for the FAFSA.
3. Select Colleges: Students can specify an unlimited number of colleges to receive their CSS Profile, even under a fee waiver.
4. Complete and Submit the Application: The CSS Profile must be completed annually for those seeking institutional aid. Families can detail special financial circumstances and make one correction per academic year if necessary.
A step by step walkthrough of the process can be found here.
CSS Profile vs. FAFSA
The CSS Profile is more detailed than the FAFSA, asking for additional financial information such as assets related to the family’s primary residence and medical or educational expenses. It continues to consider the number of family members in college simultaneously, unlike the updated FAFSA.
