Securing financial aid is a critical step for many students planning to attend college. For some, financial assistance is the key to transforming the dream of attending college into an actual reality. For others, it expands the pool of colleges and universities they can consider as they work to identify the best fit. While many students and families applying to college frequently hear about the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), not all are aware that there is another application for aid necessary at some colleges and universities called the College Scholarship Service (CSS) Profile. 

The CSS Profile is used by hundreds of private institutions to determine awards for non-federal financial aid in addition to the FAFSA. Many students are unaware that this assistance exists and that scholarships and aid available at private colleges can exceed Pell grant allocations and other forms of federal aid. With that, students should not make decisions about where to apply based solely on the reported costs of tuition, room, and board. The CSS Profile can help students and families better understand what aid is available at private colleges and provide them with information to compare net costs across institutions as they determine the best fit for them. 

Counselors can share this important information with students and families and support them in completing all the necessary steps to maximize the financial assistance available to them as they prepare for their postsecondary next step. 

What is the CSS Profile?

The CSS Profile is an online application for non-federal financial aid administered by the College Board, the same organization that delivers AP courses and the SAT. It is required by some colleges and universities–primarily those with large endowments–for scholarship, grant, and loan applications. It is more detailed than the FAFSA, but requires many of the same types of financial information from parents. 

Who needs to complete it?

While all students who hope to receive federal financial aid in the form of Pell grants, loans, and work study programs must complete the FAFSA, not all students and parents need to complete the CSS Profile. Only students applying to schools or scholarships that require the CSS Profile need to complete it. Participating schools and programs can be found on the College Board’s CSS Profile website. 

What do students and families need to know?

Students and families who do need to complete the CSS Profile should be aware that the form opens each year on October 1, with deadlines ranging across institutions. Unlike the FAFSA, which is free for students and families to complete, the CSS Profile costs $25 for the first application and $16 for each additional school. There are fee waivers available for families making less than $100,000 per year directly on the College Board website. 

The CSS Profile includes a section where students and their parents can describe special circumstances for institutions to consider. Changes in employment, catastrophic events, or other extenuating circumstances or issues that may not be apparent in other portions of the form can be detailed. These additional fields allow colleges to make more nuanced decisions regarding student and family needs for assistance. It is important to note that students and families who are completing the CSS Profile should also complete the FAFSA as FAFSA is required to receive federal financial aid.

How do students and families get started?

Students can begin the process of completing the CSS Profile by making a College Board account. Students who have taken the SAT, PSAT, or AP exams likely already have an account they can utilize to get started. 

Parents should use their student’s College Board account to complete the necessary fields. There are some situations that require parents to create their own account; these circumstances vary by schools, so it is best for students and families to connect with the specific institutions to answer any questions.

Students and their parents will need access to recent tax returns, W-2 forms, bank account records, and information about other assets. It takes between 45 to 2 hours to complete. The form can be saved and returned to a later time and, therefore, does not need to be done in one sitting. 

How can counselors support these efforts?

Counselors can help students, especially first generation college students and their families understand how college can be affordable by explaining how aid is awarded and helping students to learn about additional funding and scholarships. Counselors might track completion of financial aid applications for students with plans to attend college and follow up as deadlines approach, especially for students and families who are struggling to engage with or endure the financial aid processes and protocols. By regularly encouraging students and families to complete all requisite financial aid applications–the FAFSA and CSS Profile, if required–counselors can help families take the first steps to making college a reality for students. 

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