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 schools that require the application are mostly private colleges or other institutions that have large endowments, experts say.
The CSS Profile “really should be considered as one of the vehicles to increasing financial affordability for students,” says Gail Holt, dean of financial aid at Amherst College in Massachusetts. “Because it is a way that schools that have resources are able to direct and spread out those resources more precisely than the FAFSA and the federal funds are able to do.”
[READ: Find College Scholarships Related to Your Hobbies.]
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.
Here’s what families should know about filling out the CSS Profile.
Schools That Use the CSS Profile
About 270 colleges, universities and scholarship organizations require the CSS Profile. While many are private institutions, some are public schools.
Here are some examples of schools that accept or require the CSS Profile for the 2025-2026 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, PSAT or AP exams 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 2025-2026 academic year, for instance, will use the 2023 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.
[READ: 19 Questions College Financial Aid Officers Wish Parents Would Ask]
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 Holt.
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 no substantial changes this year.
However, in the last few years, the College Board has rolled out a lighter version for some colleges to opt into. Colleges can allow either all students or only students who meet certain criteria to complete the application, says Adam Miller, vice president for admission and financial aid at Whitman College in Washington.
When filling out the application, students “list the colleges they’re considering, and that’s going to determine which questions they end up needing to complete,” he says. “It might look a little different from student to student just based on where they’re applying and what their personal financial circumstances are.”
Compared to the FAFSA, the CSS Profile “has a lot more room for folks to explain special financial circumstances that they are facing,” Miller says. “There’s a couple open response areas where folks can type in narrative to share some additional context about their finances.”
Experts say those are good places for families 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 and allows institutions to ask financial questions not on the FAFSA.
“Because the need formula used by the Profile is different from the FAFSA, more information about a family’s household and finances is collected on the CSS Profile,” Wendy Glass, director of student financial services at Bates College in Maine, wrote in an email.
For instance, there are questions about assets specific to a family’s primary residence and medical expenses.
[READ: Look for These Red Flags in a College’s Finances]
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 the College Board, 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.
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.
“Applicants should give themselves enough time to gather the information needed to complete and submit the Profile by each college’s published deadline,” Glass says.
The CSS Profile usually opens Oct. 1 each year, the same day the FAFSA historically opens. But for the second year in a row, the FAFSA could open to most families in 2024 as late as Dec. 1.
The two different deadlines are “a lot to keep track of when students are busy — hopefully doing great things in their senior year and really enjoying that final year of high school,” Miller says. “I think that is going to be a source of confusion and frustration. The potential benefit, if you’re looking at a CSS Profile school, is that even if there are delays with the FAFSA, you’ll be able to get good financial aid information from colleges that use the CSS Profile on time.”
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How to Complete the CSS Profile originally appeared on usnews.com
Update 09/26/24: This article was published at an earlier date and has been updated with new information.
