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.

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 ...

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 ...

While the Free Application for Federal Student Aid FAFSA determines eligibility for federal financial aid, the CSS Profile is used by certain colleges to award non-federal, institutional aid.

If you are applying for financial aid, there are two primary forms: the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and the CSS Profile. DACA students do not qualify for FAFSA, but could be ...

The College Scholarship Service PROFILE (CSS Profile) is an application for non-federal student financial aid that is administered by the College Board, the creator of the SAT. Nearly 400 of their ...

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 ...