The CSS Profile: What It Is & When You Need to Submit It
If you are navigating the financial aid process for college, you will likely come across the CSS Profile. This application, administered by the College Board, is required by many colleges and universities.
The CSS profile often goes hand in hand with the FAFSA to determine eligibility for institutional financial aid. Unlike the FAFSA, which is free, the CSS Profile comes with a fee but opens doors to significant financial aid opportunities.
Here’s what you need to know about the CSS Profile.
What is the CSS Profile?
The CSS Profile (College Scholarship Service Profile) is an online application students use to apply for non-federal financial aid from colleges and scholarship programs. Developed and maintained by the College Board, it's a requirement for financial aid consideration at many schools.
Compared to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), the CSS Profile is more in-depth, allowing institutions to ask for additional financial details. For instance, while FAFSA doesn't account for home equity when determining federal aid, the CSS Profile does include it in its assessment but each college has its own rules about how much home equity counts toward financial aid.
Why Submit the CSS Profile?
According to the College Board, each year, the CSS Profile connects thousands of students to more than $9 billion of financial aid. If you want an opportunity to get some of that money to help pay for college from the colleges that use it, you must submit the CSS Profile. If you don’t submit the CSS Profile, you are forfeiting access to billions of dollars in aid.
When is the CSS Profile Due?
The CSS Profile generally becomes available on October 1st each year for students applying for the next academic year. While the deadline varies by school, it’s important to submit the form as early as possible, as some schools have priority deadlines for financial aid consideration.
Missing the deadline can impact your eligibility for certain grants or scholarships, so checking each school’s specific deadline on their financial aid website is crucial.
Pro Tip: Even if you're unsure of your final college choice, submitting the CSS Profile to all potential schools by the earliest deadline ensures you don’t miss out on any aid.
Which schools require the CSS Profile?
Not all colleges require the CSS Profile, but many private institutions and some public universities do. Typically, highly selective schools or those with substantial endowments require it to distribute their own institutional aid.
Colleges like Harvard, Stanford, and New York University are among those that request the CSS Profile in addition to the FAFSA. The College Board provides a list of schools that require the CSS Profile, and you should verify each school’s specific requirements since they may vary from year to year.
To find out if a school requires the CSS Profile, you can either consult the school’s financial aid webpage or use this search tool (Institutions and Programs That Use CSS Profile) on the College Board’s website.
How accurate does the CSS Profile have to be?
The CSS Profile requires detailed financial information, including income, assets, and expenses. It’s essential to be as accurate as possible when filling out the form, as colleges use this data to allocate need-based financial aid.
Unlike the FAFSA, which is largely based on tax information, the CSS Profile considers additional factors such as home equity, medical expenses, and even the income of non-custodial parents (if applicable).
Inaccurate information can lead to delays in processing, adjustments to aid awards, or even a request for verification, which can be time-consuming. If there are changes in your financial situation after submitting the profile, most schools allow you to provide additional documentation or an explanation of circumstances to clarify discrepancies.
How to fill out the CSS Profile
The entire CSS Profile application is completed online. You will need a free College Board account to access the application. If you already have one, there's no need to create a new account.
You will need to provide details about employment, family income, and other aspects of your family’s financial situation. It’s a good idea to have your parent or guardian sit with you while you fill out the application, as you might need their assistance with some of the questions.
Before beginning the application, gather important documents such as tax returns from the past two years, bank statements, W-2 forms, and other financial records.
If your parents are divorced, separated, or a noncustodial parent, the process for completing the CSS Profile differs. Visit the College Board’s parent portal for more information.
How long does the CSS Profile take?
Completing the CSS Profile can take anywhere from 45 minutes to several hours, depending on your familiarity with your financial situation and how organized your documents are. The first time you fill out the form, expect it to take longer, especially if you need to gather documents like bank statements, mortgage information, and tax returns.
You can also start the form, save your progress, and return to it later, which allows you to work on it at your own pace. While the CSS Profile is more time-consuming than the FAFSA due to its depth, taking the time to complete it accurately will impact the financial aid you receive.
Does the CSS Profile have a fee?
The CSS Profile requires families to pay a fee of $25 for initial applications and $16 per each additional report. But families and noncustodial parents with adjusted gross incomes up to $100,000 can fill out the CSS Profile for free.
According to a U.S. Department of Education, 40% of students qualify to complete the application for free, including 77% of undocumented and DACA students and 85% of first-generation students.
Waivers are also available to low-income undergraduates, those who received an SAT fee waiver, and those who are orphans or wards of the court under 24 years old. These requirements apply only to domestic undergraduates.
CSS Profile vs. FAFSA
The FAFSA provides federal aid, and the CSS Profile provides institutional aid, but the completion of each one may result in the offer of loans, scholarships, and grants. In addition, some of the most generous colleges and universities use the CSS Profile.
When my daughter was applying to several private colleges, we were required to complete the Profile. Since my home-based business was, at the time, showing a loss, the data we submitted to the Profile helped us gain additional institutional aid from the college she chose to attend.
The CSS Profile can get you more aid money
The College Essay Guy outlines some ways a college’s choice to use the CSS Profile could result in you receiving more or less aid than you might from a FAFSA-only school:
- Maybe your family has a ton of debt due to medical expenses—the CSS Profile accounts for that.
- Maybe your family has kids in private schools—the CSS Profile accounts for that.
- Maybe your family has weathered a recent hurricane—the CSS Profile accounts for that.
- Maybe your parent lost their job, and your family income is different than the year the FAFSA asked about—completing the CSS Profile will paint a different income picture.
These are just a few instances in which your family circumstances can influence your aid by completing the CSS Profile.
The CSS Profile can cause you to get less aid money
But, here are some ways a college’s choice to use the CSS Profile could result in you receiving less aid than you might from a FAFSA-only school:
- Maybe your family doesn’t make much, but you own and live in a multimillion-dollar home—the CSS Profile accounts for that.
- Maybe you live with your mom who doesn’t make much, but your absentee dad is extremely wealthy—the CSS Profile (most of the time) accounts for that.
- Maybe the parent you don’t live with isn’t wealthy, but did remarry—the CSS Profile (most of the time) accounts for your non-custodial parent’s and/or stepparent’s incomes.
- Maybe your family owns a small business that does well but wasn’t considered on the FAFSA—the CSS Profile considers that.
- Maybe your grandparents have a college fund set aside for you—the CSS Profile will determine you need less financial aid.
While these situations are admittedly beyond your control, they will impact what colleges assess your need to be.
Is support available for the CSS Profile?
If you have difficulty at any step, the College Board provides several support services. This includes a live chat function, an email, and a phone number that you can reach out to help resolve any issues.
If you need a step-by-step walk-through for completing the application, College Aid Pro created a video: How to complete the 2024-2025 CSS Profile, a line-by-line guide.
The CSS Profile is a more detailed form than the FAFSA. However, it is crucial in determining financial aid at many schools. Don’t let the form overwhelm you. If you need assistance, don't hesitate to contact the financial aid offices of the schools you are applying to—they're there to help guide you through the process.
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