The CSS Profile Can Lead to a Scholarship

The CSS Profile is an online college application administered by the College Board. Each year, use of the CSS Profile application allows students to access over $10 billion in non-Federal student aid. Annually, over 430,000 students receive an average of $45,000 in need-based aid from colleges using the Profile. Currently, 278 colleges require it as part of their admission process. Admittees are then eligible for the college’s own aid programs.

The CSS Profile does not replace the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The FAFSA is used to qualify students for Federal student aid programs at all colleges. The majority of colleges also use it as the basis for the allocation of their own need-based student aid funds. However, instead of the FAFSA, certain colleges use the CSS Profile to qualify applicants for their proprietary student aid programs. Students should check with the financial aid office of their targeted colleges regarding the CSS Profile.

Below are key features of the CSS Profile:

• Deadlines for the Profile vary by school, so students should check each college’s website for specific submission dates and other requirements.

• If a student seeks to make a change on their CSS Profile after submission or wants to include additional information, they can update their record on the College Board’s CSS Profile Dashboard, which also includes helpful hints and “next steps”.

• Students who have taken the SAT have already set up a College Board account that can be used for the CSS Profile. Others will need to set one up. Students don’t need to complete the Profile in one sitting. They may save the form and return to it.

• The CSS Profile goes beyond the FAFSA in the depth of the information it collects. It delves into a student’s and their family’s finances in greater detail, providing colleges with a comprehensive view of their financial situation. This allows colleges to make better decisions about distributing their financial aid resources.

• The application conforms to the needs of all families, including divorced and separated parents.

• The form collects information about special circumstances, so financial need can be more fully evaluated prior to sending out Award Letters to students.

Colleges require the CSS Profile for several reasons:

1. Institutional Aid Allocation: Many colleges use the CSS Profile to allocate their own need-based scholarships and grants. By requiring the Profile, they can ensure that their aid goes to the students who need it most.
2. Tailored Aid Packages: Requiring the CSS Profile allows colleges to tailor financial aid packages that consider both Federal and state aid as well as their own institutional programs. This helps them attract a diverse student body and meet applicant’s specific financial needs if possible.
3. Merit-Based Aid: Some colleges use the CSS Profile to determine eligibility for merit-based scholarships. These scholarships may be awarded based on academic achievements, extracurricular activities, and other non-financial factors.
4. Consistency: Requiring the CSS Profile provides colleges with a standardized method of assessing financial need. This promotes fairness and consistency in the financial aid allocation process.

CSS Profile Compared to the FAFSA

The CSS Profile and FAFSA are both tools for assessing financial need, but they differ in several keys ways:

1. Purpose: The primary distinction lies in their purpose. The FAFSA is primarily used to determine eligibility for Federal and state financial aid programs, whereas the CSS Profile is used by some colleges to allocate their own institutional aid.

1. Timing: The FAFSA can be submitted as early as October 1 for the following academic year. The CSS Profile has its own deadlines that vary by institution. Some colleges require the CSS Profile to be submitted as early as November 1, so it’s essential that students check each college’s specific deadlines.

1. Required Information: The CSS Profile collects more detailed financial information than does the FAFSA, including home equity and non-custodial parent information. Additionally, the Profile asks for information from the prior year’s tax returns, while the FAFSA uses only prior-prior tax year information.

1. Dependency Status: The FAFSA uses specific information from parents/guardians to determine a student’s dependency status. The CSS Profile also asks for information from non-custodial parents, if appropriate.

1. Cost: The CSS Profile has an application fee of $25. The fee covers the application itself and the submission of the form to one college. Reports to each additional college entail an fee of $16. Students with family income under $100,000 are eligible for a fee waivers. On the FAFSA, which is free, an applicant can list up to 20 colleges to receive the form’s data without incurring additional fees.

Colleges Requiring the CSS Profile

There are certain types of institutions that are more likely to require the CSS Profile than others, as noted below:

1. Highly Selective Private Institutions: Top private colleges tend to use the CSS Profile to assess financial need in order to allocate their own need-based aid. These schools include prestigious national universities, top liberal arts colleges, and certain other institutions. Highly selective institutions have rigorous admissions standards and are more likely to require the CSS Profile than others. Many of these schools offer generous financial aid packages to ensure that exceptional students can attend regardless of their ability to pay.

2. Public Universities: Several top public universities require the CSS Profile for non-resident students seeking financial aid. This is especially common when they offer competitive merit-based scholarships as a way to attract top talent from around the country.

3. Specialized Programs: Colleges with specialized programs, such as conservatories of music, visual arts and performing arts colleges, and similar specialized institutions often require the CSS Profile to determine need in the context of talent-based qualifications.

4. Additional Scholarship Programs: Some organizations offer scholarships based on factors such as leadership, community service, or specific academic interests. They often use the CSS Profile to assess applicant qualifications for their programs.

Creating an Account for Parent Use

 To complete a CSS Profile application as a parent, it is recommended that the parent use  the student’s College Board account. There are some situations in which a parent will need to create their own account, such as: 1.) Noncustodial Parent Accounts: If a parent is a noncustodial parent, they will need to create a College Board account using their own information, and, 2.) Other Parent Accounts: If an individual is the primary parent and does not want to share financial information with a noncustodial parent, he or she may create a separate College Board account using their own information.

Sections and questions on the form will be marked as to whether they are about the student or the parent. One of the most common mistakes parents make is to answer “Student Status” questions for themselves and not for their student. The College Board provides a CSS Profile Custodial Parent Tutorial and a CSS Profile Noncustodial Parent Tutorial on its website to assist in accurate form completion.

 International Students

 Some CSS colleges provide institutional financial aid to eligible international students. International students should check the College Board’s list to see if their colleges-of-interest accept international CSS Profiles. Since participating colleges need to understand a family’s financial situation in the context of their local economy, the CSS Profile application will collect information about family income, assets, and expenses in the home currency and then convert it to equivalent amounts in U.S. currency.

Summary

While the FAFSA remains the cornerstone of Federal financial aid applications, the CSS Profile plays a crucial role for many students seeking financial aid from the top colleges that require it. Students should be aware of which colleges require the CSS Profile, as well as specific requirements and deadlines, which vary widely. They should also stay up-to-date regarding changes to the list of CSS Profile colleges by regularly checking the websites of targeted colleges.

Navigating the financial aid application process is always complex, but understanding the CSS Profile and its role in securing institutional aid from top colleges is a key step in making college more accessible and affordable.

The College Board states the purpose of the CSS program as follows: “CSS Profile helps  ensure that member colleges can allocate their limited institutional funds in the most equitable manner possible. With it, they are able to provide each family with the right amount of institutional scholarship and grants.”