What is the CSS Profile and Why Is It Important for College Financial Aid?

The college application process can seem far from straight-forward. With various forms, deadlines, and platforms to manage, many families can find themselves overwhelmed and confused.

In this blog, we aim to reduce some of the stress by providing information on one aspect of the college journey—the College Scholarship Services Profile, better known as the CSS Profile. We’ll explain what it is, who needs to complete it, and how it’s different from the FAFSA. 

What is the CSS Profile?

The CSS Profile is an online application form created by the College Board. Though the College Board is best known as the non-profit that develops and administers standardized tests such as the SAT and AP exams, the organization also maintains a registry of scholarship programs and other financial support for students.

The CSS Profile is one aspect of this work. It serves as a “one-stop shop” for students to apply for financial aid provided by various private colleges, universities, and scholarship programs. Students are able to reduce the number of times they provide the same information to different institutions and instead submit one form to multiple institutions.

The CSS will ask students for information on family income, benefits, assets and other information. This, in turn, allows the CSS to provide students and institutions with a better sense of their overall eligibility for various programs.It is often more detailed than the FAFSA.

The CSS Profile costs $25 for the initial application and $16 for each additional school. However, these fees can be waived for some students based on their financial circumstances. Per the College Board, over 40% of all students qualify to submit the CSS for free.

Who Needs to Complete the CSS Profile?

The CSS Profile can be a useful resource for any student applying to college and an important supplement to the FAFSA, which we have discussed in prior blogs.

It is particularly important for students applying to private colleges and universities, such as Harvard and Yale. For these universities and several hundred other institutions, the CSS provides essential information on family assets, home equity, and business income. This information, in turn, allows these institutions to make decisions about financial aid.

The CSS might also be helpful for students whose families have complex financial situations. For students with separated parents, family-owned businesses, medical expenses, and other special circumstances, the CSS can provide colleges and universities with a more holistic profile of a student’s circumstances.

Students just need to make sure that the college they are applying to accepts the CSS. Some universities, such as Princeton, will not accept the CSS if sent to them.

How Is the CSS Profile Different from the FAFSA?

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is a staple of college life, connecting students to a vast network of scholarships, work-study programs, and federal loans to make college affordable.

However, as the name suggests, the FAFSA is primarily designed for federal and state financial support such as Pell Grants, Stafford Loans, work student programs, and other aid. The CSS Profile, by contrast, is designed specifically for institutional aid. 

As USA Today notes, “Unlike FAFSA, there’s no set formula to calculate aid. College financial aid offices have the flexibility to add more questions and interpret families’ information to determine the amount students receive.”

Conclusion

While all students should complete the FAFSA, the CSS Profile can be a useful supplement for students with unique financial circumstances or students applying to elite universities with large endowments. 

We encourage all students to check the application requirements of the universities they apply to so that they can understand what colleges will and will not accept and the deadlines to complete them. 

While this blog has provided some information on the CSS, you can contact a Class 101 office near you to get more information on the CSS and financial aid process.