The CSS Profile is an application for college financial aid required by 300 colleges, universities and scholarship organizations. Completing the CSS Profile, short for the College Scholarship Service ...

Completing the CSS profile can help you qualify for non-federal aid opportunities. This form, unlike the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) , is used by a limited number of colleges. It ...

Applying to college is an exercise in paperwork: recommendations, essays, the application itself, and the FAFSA — the form that determines whether your student is eligible for federal financial aid.

Some colleges require you to fill out the CSS Profile to qualify for non-federal financial aid. Unlike the FAFSA, most applicants have to pay a fee to submit the CSS Profile. You can still complete ...

The CSS Profile is a financial aid application for school-based aid like scholarships and grants. You’ll still need to complete the FAFSA to qualify for federal and state financial aid. Unlike the ...

The CSS Profile, managed by the College Board, helps students access institutional financial aid beyond federal support. Unlike the FAFSA, it provides colleges with a detailed view of income, assets, ...

Yes, you can estimate your taxes (initially) in order to submit your child's financial aid forms before college deadlines. College financial aid forms are more than a little confusing for all of us, ...

It’s the season for would-be college students and their families try to figure out how to pay tuition bills. On Oct. 1, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or the FAFSA, went live. The FAFSA ...

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and College Scholarship Service (CSS) Profile are the most common financial ...

Hundreds of colleges use the CSS Profile to award institutional grants and scholarships to students. The 2025-26 form opened on Oct. 1, 2024. Many, or all, of the products featured on this page are ...