CSS Profile

The College Scholarship Service, or CSS Profile, is used by over 400 schools to award institutional financial aid. Institutional aid is money that comes directly from the college instead of the government.

What is the CSS Profile?

Like the FAFSA, the CSS Profile is an online application. It’s used by some colleges and scholarship programs to award aid separate from (and in addition to!) aid given by the government.

The CSS Profile is managed by The College Board, the same organization that manages SAT and AP testing. It’s used by over 400 colleges. You can find a full list of colleges that use the CSS Profile to award aid here.

Watch this video to learn more about the CSS Profile.

CSS Profile Basics

Here are a few important things to know about the CSS Profile

  • Fees

    The CSS Profile is free for family’s with incomes up to $100,000 a year and those who have SAT fee waivers. For others, it costs $25. Each report you send to a school after the first is an additional $16. Learn more about CSS fees here.

  • Parents/Caregivers

    Unlike the FAFSA, the CSS Profile will ask about all parents and guardians, including biological parents, adoptive parents, current step-parents, current parental partners, and legal guardians. However, students can identify out-of-the-picture parents so their information is not required.

  • Bilingual

    While the application is in English, resources and support are also available in Spanish.

  • October 1st

    The CSS Profile application opens on October 1st of your junior year.

  • No EFC

    Unlike the FAFSA, you will not receive an estimated family contribution. Each school will determine this based on their cost of attendance.

  • Early is Better!

    CSS Profile application deadlines vary by school. They usually fall between January and March of your junior year. We recommend completing the CSS Profile as early as possible in October.

CSS Profile vs. FAFSA

While both applications are used to award aid, there are a few important key differences between the CSS Profile and the FAFSA.

  • The FAFSA is for U.S. citizens or eligible noncitizens
    The CSS Profile is for all students, including undocumented and international students

  • The FAFSA is required for you to receive federal aid like grants and student loans
    The CSS Profile is required for you to receive financial aid from individual schools

  • The FAFSA is used by all colleges and universities
    The CSS Profile is used by only these specific colleges and universities

  • The FAFSA only asks for financial information for the household you live in
    The CSS Profile requires financial information for all of your parents and guardians (but waivers are available if you don’t have contact with them)

For a full overview of the differences between these two financial aid applications, check out this article from Scoir.

Completing the CSS Profile

It’s tricky! We get it. Here are the steps you should take to complete the CSS Profile.

Step 1

Parents/Caregivers and Students must create College Board accounts.

A student may already have a College Board account if they have taken AP classes or the PSAT/SAT. If so, sign in using those credentials. If not, a student should create an account here. 

Parents – both those with custody and without – also need to create accounts. Learn how to do that here.

Step 2

Gather documents. You’ll need the same financial documents you use for the FAFSA.

Click here to see a full list of documents you may need.

Step 3

It’s time to complete the form! You do not need to complete it all in one sitting. You can save and return.

For a preview of the form and what to expect, check out the CSS Profile Tutorial.

Have Questions?

That’s okay – we all do! For common questions about completing the form and different student circumstances, please see these resources.