How much is css profile

2023-24 CSS Profile: Everything You Need to Know

Over 230 colleges use the CSS Profile, an application to award institutional grants and scholarships.

Anna Helhoski
Senior Writer | Economic news, consumer finance trends, student loan debt

Anna Helhoski is a senior writer covering economic news and trends in consumer finance at NerdWallet. She is also an authority on student loans. She joined NerdWallet in 2014. Her work has appeared in The Associated Press, The New York Times, The Washington Post and USA Today. She previously covered local news in the New York metro area for the Daily Voice and New York state politics for The Legislative Gazette. She holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Purchase College, State University of New York.

Des Toups
Lead Assigning Editor | Student loans, repaying college debt, paying for college

Des Toups was a lead assigning editor who supported the student loans and auto loans teams. He had decades of experience in personal finance journalism, exploring everything from car insurance to bankruptcy to couponing to side hustles.

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You may have heard of the FAFSA , but to get additional financial aid — and possibly score free money for school — consider submitting the CSS/Financial Aid Profile. Over 200 colleges use it to determine whether you qualify for institutional grants and scholarships.

What is the CSS Profile?

The CSS Profile, like the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, is used to assess your family’s income and assets to calculate your expected family contribution. And colleges use your expected family contribution to determine your financial aid package.

Who should submit the CSS Profile?

The schools you’re considering may require the CSS even if you’ve already submitted the FAFSA. Check this list to see which schools need it.

When should I submit the CSS Profile?

The CSS Profile for the 2023-24 school year comes out October 1, 2022, and each school or program sets its own deadline. But you should submit no later than two weeks before a school’s priority filing date.

What kind of financial aid can I get with the CSS Profile vs. the FAFSA?

The CSS Profile is used primarily by private schools and some state universities to award institutional grants and scholarships to pay for college .

The FAFSA can also be used for institutional aid, but its main use is to help you qualify for federal aid, including grants, work-study dollars and student loans.

How much financial aid will I qualify for with the CSS Profile?

Your actual aid eligibility may vary by school, but you can use the College Board’s EFC calculator to estimate your financial need based on the CSS Profile.

Both the CSS Profile and FAFSA calculate your expected family contribution, but each could produce a different result because they use different methodologies. Here’s how the CSS Profile determines aid:

• More information is considered. The CSS Profile collects more detailed information about your family’s finances and considers assets that the FAFSA doesn’t, including home equity, and the value of family farms and small family businesses.

• Your school may have unique questions. Colleges that use the CSS Profile can also add customized questions and adjust the formula they use for determining aid.

• Divorced parents’ income may be used. Some schools that use the CSS Profile collect income information for both parents even if they’re divorced or separated and don’t live together. The FAFSA only considers one parent’s income in those circumstances.

The CSS profile is used to qualify for private, institutional grants and scholarships at participating schools.

There are over 230 schools that require the CSS profile for the 2023-24 school year. You can find the most up-to-date list at collegeboard.org .

1. Create a college board account. 2. Gather your financial documents, including tax returns, W-2 forms, banks statements and mortgage information. 3. Register for the CSS Profile by filling in basic identifying information and selecting your preferred schools. 4. Complete the application by answering questions about your parents’ finances. It could take about 45 minutes. 5. Pay the fee if you don’t qualify for a waiver. 6. Check over your work and submit.

The CSS profile is used to qualify for private, institutional grants and scholarships at participating schools.

There are over 230 schools that require the CSS profile for the 2023-24 school year. You can find the most up-to-date list at

1. Create a college board account. 2. Gather your financial documents, including tax returns, W-2 forms, banks statements and mortgage information. 3. Register for the CSS Profile by filling in basic identifying information and selecting your preferred schools. 4. Complete the application by answering questions about your parents’ finances. It could take about 45 minutes. 5. Pay the fee if you don’t qualify for a waiver. 6. Check over your work and submit.

How much does it cost to submit the CSS Profile?

The CSS profile is free for undergraduate students whose family income is less than $100,000. For all others, it costs $25 to fill out and submit the form to one school. You’ll pay $16 each to submit to additional schools.

If you can’t afford the fees, there are ways to curb your college application costs , including fee waivers for the CSS Profile. More on that later.

Why should I still submit the FAFSA?

The CSS Profile is for institutional aid only, so you’ll still want to submit a FAFSA to get Pell Grants, work-study, scholarships or federal student loans . Learn more about submitting the FAFSA . If you do need loans, consider how much you can afford to borrow .

How to complete the CSS Profile

Prepare and complete

The CSS Profile opens Oct. 1 each year. Before you get started, note your schools’ CSS Profile deadlines. Many fall between Jan. 1 and March 31. Some schools have early filing deadlines in November.

Create a College Board account. You might already have one if you took the SAT. You can create a College Board account or login on the College Board website .

Gather your financial documents. Having the following documents on hand will make filling out the application easier:

3. Records of savings, stocks, bonds and trusts. Register for the CSS Profile. This process includes filling in basic identifying information and selecting the schools where you want to send your CSS Profile. Your CSS Profile questions will be customized based on your answers during registration.

4. Complete the application. This takes roughly 45 minutes to two hours, according to the College Board. Many of the questions concern your parents’ finances. If they’re divorced or separated, have your custodial parent — the one you’ve lived with most in the past 12 months — complete those questions. If you lived with each parent for an equal amount of time, your custodial parent is the one who provided you with the most financial support in the past 12 months.

5. Have a parent complete the Noncustodial Profile, if necessary. This step only applies if your parents are divorced or separated and your school requires the Noncustodial Profile.

Pay the fee or get a fee waiver

6. Find out whether you’re eligible for a fee waiver. The College Board automatically determines if you qualify for a waived application fee based on your responses. The waiver also includes the cost of sending your CSS Profile to up to eight colleges. Generally, you’ll qualify for one if you’re an incoming freshman and your family’s annual income is $40,000 or less.

If you don’t qualify for a fee waiver, you’ll have to pay the $25 application fee before you can submit the form.

Submit every year

7. Submit the application . Check your work first. Once you submit it, you can’t change your answers electronically. If you need to correct your CSS Profile after you’ve submitted it, print out the application summary form, make your corrections and fax, email or mail it to your school’s financial aid office.

8. Submit the application each school year. If you use the same account each year, parts of your application will automatically fill.

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What Is The CSS Profile & How Do I Complete It?

The College Scholarship Service (CSS) Profile is an online application for non-federal student financial aid, such as institutional (and in some cases, state) scholarships and grants. Around 240 colleges, universities, professional schools, and scholarship programs in the U.S. use the CSS Profile in addition to the FAFSA!

While completing the FAFSA sets you up to receive all the federal scholarships, grants, student loans, and work-study financial aid you are eligible for, the CSS Profile will help you receive any and all institutional aid you may be eligible for. Here’s what you need to know about completing the CSS Profile!

Who needs to complete the CSS Profile?

If you’re applying to one of the ~240 colleges that use the CSS Profile, you will likely need to complete it in addition to the FAFSA. Some of these colleges require the CSS profile, while others just recommend it. If you’re applying to a college that uses it, even if it’s not required, we recommend filling it out anyways in order to receive all the institutional assistance, scholarships, and grants you’re eligible for.

Where do I start the CSS Profile? What information will I need?

You can start the CSS Profile here. You and your parents or guardian/s (if you’re a dependent student) will need the following documents/info handy to complete it:

• Federal tax returns
• W-2 forms and other records of current year income
• Records of untaxed income and benefits for the current and previous tax years
• Current bank statements
• Records of investments if applicable (savings, stocks, bonds, trusts, etc.)

When is the CSS Profile due?

The CSS Profile opens every year on October 1st, just like the FAFSA. Deadlines are typically specific to the college you’re applying to, but the majority tend to fall between January 1st and March 1st every year. Also, like the FAFSA, you’ll need to renew your CSS Profile every year you attend college.

How much does the CSS Profile cost?

The CSS Profile costs $25 to complete. The first report you send is included in the initial $25 fee, but each additional report you request will cost $16. However, fee waivers are available for students whose adjusted gross family income is less than $100,000 annually.

How will the CSS Financial Aid Profile help me get money for college?

Once your CSS Profile is complete, you are able to send it to as many schools and scholarship programs as you want for a fee. Each report you receive will highlight the amount of private aid you qualify for at each institution you request. The CSS Profile asks additional questions about your family finances to really help you get the maximum amount of aid possible. If a school you are applying to requires a CSS Profile, you can expect there to be additional funding options available to you. This is particularly helpful to families who are not considered low-income, but still require help covering the costs of college.

Have any questions about college financial aid? Text #FAFSA to 33-55-77 to chat with one of our advisors. If you’re using a mobile device, click here to have the text message set up for you!

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