The CSS Profile is an application for institutional financial aid required by more than 300 colleges, universities and scholarship organizations. Completing the CSS Profile, formally known as the College Scholarship Service Profile, can be cumbersome.
“For some students, any kind of form can be a challenge to fill out,” says Samantha Veeder, university senior director of enrollment and financial aid at the University of Rochester in New York. “But it is absolutely necessary in order for colleges and universities to gather the data that they need to award their limited financial aid grants and scholarships in a way that’s equitable.”
What Is the CSS Profile?
The CSS Profile, administered and maintained by the College Board, the same group that develops the SAT, opens the door to nonfederal scholarships and other kinds of institutional aid that can make a big difference when it’s time to pay for college.
Aiming to paint a fuller picture of a family’s finances than the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, the CSS Profile offers opportunities for families to describe unique or extenuating circumstances that affect their ability to pay.
“The CSS Profile is going to go more in-depth, so be ready for that,” says Elaine Rubin, director of corporate communications at Edvisors, a higher education resource site. “Unfortunately when it comes to families who don’t want to provide that information, it may be a requirement, especially if your student or child is going to a school that requires the CSS Profile.”
The schools that require the application are mostly private colleges or other institutions that have large endowments, experts say.
[Read: 10 Most, Least Expensive Private Colleges.]
For some families, completing the CSS Profile results in institutional scholarships and a lower net price, which refers to what the student actually pays to go to a particular college. But for others, submitting the application may not have an impact. Experts suggest families use a net price calculator, a tool that takes potential financial aid into account to determine a rough estimate of the total cost of attendance.
CSS Profile Schools
Only certain colleges and universities require the CSS Profile to be considered for need-based financial aid. While many are private institutions, some are public schools.
Here are some examples of schools that accept or require the CSS Profile for the 2024-2025 school year:
— American University (DC)
— Brandeis University (MA)
— William & Mary (VA)
— Duke University (NC)
— Stevens Institute of Technology (NJ)
— University of Michigan–Ann Arbor
— University of Southern California
— Worcester Polytechnic Institute (MA)
See a list of all schools using the CSS profile here.
How to Complete the CSS Profile
Students applying to a college that requires the CSS Profile or families who need financial aid and are interested in schools that use the form should follow the steps below.
Make a College Board Account
Students who have taken the SAT may already have a College Board account, which can be used to complete the CSS Profile. Sign in or create a profile on the College Board’s website.
Gather Necessary Documentation
The CSS Profile requires tax documents from the same year as the FAFSA, which is required for students interested in receiving federal financial aid. Students who have already completed the FAFSA can use much of the same documentation for the CSS Profile.
On both forms, families report their income from two years prior to the year a student plans to attend college. A family completing the form for the 2024-2025 academic year, for instance, will use the 2022 federal tax return.
But families should expect to need additional documents. These include their W-2 forms and other records of current year income, records of untaxed income and benefits, assets, and bank statements, according to the College Board.
Select Colleges
Students can specify which colleges they want to receive their CSS Profile. There is no limit to the number of schools a student can apply to, even under a fee waiver, according to Gail Holt, dean of financial aid at Amherst College in Massachusetts.
Complete the Application
Students should complete the CSS Profile every year they want institutional financial aid.
Unlike the FAFSA — which underwent a significant overhaul due to the FAFSA Simplification Act — the CSS Profile had minimal changes this year, says Brad Lindberg, associate vice president of institutional initiatives and enrollment at Grinnell College in Iowa. For example, directions were improved for questions that families may misreport, he says.
Families can also detail any special circumstances. Experts say this is a good place to describe anything not apparent on their tax forms or in any other questions, such as the costs of caring for a grandparent overseas or other financial hardships. Beyond providing details of a special circumstance, families should keep in mind they can also appeal for more aid by contacting a college’s financial aid office.
Submit the Application
Families must pay a fee or receive a waiver before the CSS Profile will be sent to colleges.
Check Back
There may be more instructions after the CSS Profile is submitted. Students should refer to the College Board’s dashboard for action items and to see a payment receipt. After the form is submitted, students can still add colleges where they would like their profile to be sent, though they will be charged for each additional school.
If a student notices a mistake after submission, one correction per academic year can be made through the “Correct Your CSS Profile” section on their dashboard. Beyond that, students have to contact recipient schools directly.
The CSS Profile vs. the FAFSA
The CSS Profile is different from the FAFSA. The CSS Profile allows institutions to ask financial questions not on the FAFSA and to customize the questions. It is more detailed, so it may take more time to complete, but it can also result in additional financial aid. Questions a family may encounter on the CSS Profile but won’t find on the FAFSA include those about assets specific to a family’s primary residence and information about medical or additional educational expenses, experts say.
One recent change to the FAFSA is elimination of the adjustment for more than one dependent student in college. The CSS Profile, however, will still consider the number of students in a family attending college at the same time, Lindberg says.
“That’s going to be one of the things that I think is going to create the biggest difference in the experience of completing the FAFSA and completing the profile,” he says.
CSS Profile Fee Waiver
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. More than 40% of students qualify to complete the application for free, including 77% of undocumented and DACA students and 85% of first-generation students, according to the College Board.
“I have found that sometimes middle-income families struggle more to make college affordable for them based on their situation because less resources are available for them than to low-income families,” Veeder says.
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. International students typically have access to fee payment codes offered by nonprofit organizations and many colleges and universities, Holt says.
[Read: How to Pay for College Using These Overlooked Strategies.]
When Is the CSS Profile Deadline?
Because each institution has a different CSS Profile, the deadlines also vary. They often align with admissions deadlines, experts say, but students should check with their college to ensure they submit the form on time.
The CSS Profile opens Oct. 1 each year, which is usually the same day the FAFSA opens. For the 2024-2025 year, though, families can’t begin completing the FAFSA until December.
“I think some families have done the forms at different times anyways, but it’ll just be remembering to keep track of things,” Lindberg says. “And if you are at a school that requires the (CSS) profile and the FAFSA, make sure you’re getting that profile in in enough time to hear a response from the institution, and circle back and complete the FAFSA when the time comes.”
Trying to fund your education? Get tips and more in the U.S. News Paying for College center.
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How to Complete the CSS Profile originally appeared on usnews.com
Update 10/05/23: This story was published at an earlier date and has been updated with new information.
