The CSS Profile and FAFSA – Student Financial Aid Application Comparison

Almost all students who apply to college or career school also apply for financial aid. With grants, loans, and scholarships available from federal, state, institutional, and private sources, students have good reason to explore their financial aid options. When you apply for financial aid, you’ll find two applications: the FAFSA and the CSS College Profile. This is what they are and how they differ from each other.

The CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE

The College Board, a nonprofit membership association that helps students get into college, is made up of more than 5,400 career colleges, trade schools, universities and other educational organizations. The College Board administers the SAT to high school students. But another key mission of the College Board is to help you lower your cost of attendance (COA). Your COA includes tuition, room and board, books, travel expenses, and other expenses associated with attending college.

The College Board administers the CSS/FINANCIAL AID PROFILE online application (commonly known as the CSS Profile). Member schools agree to use the CSS Profile application to standardize the financial aid application process and make it easier for students. By using a standardized application, it is much easier for students to apply to multiple schools.

Schools use the information from your CSS profile request to determine how much not federal financial aid that you are eligible to receive. Non-federal financial aid includes institutional grants and scholarshipswhich are grants that the university gives you to help you reduce the cost of attending university.

Complete your CSS profile online. There is an initial $25 fee that includes sending your application to a school, plus a $16 fee for each additional school or college you want your information sent to.

Which universities use the CSS profile?

The information collected in the CSS Profile is used by nearly 600 colleges, universities, graduate schools, and professional schools to determine eligibility for non-federal student aid funds. Many private colleges, which have institutional financial aid funds, will ask students to complete the FAFSA and CSS Profile applications. Many public colleges and universities do not have institutional funds to distribute, and these schools may not require the CSS Profile. When applying to a college or career school, check with your school’s admissions office or financial aid office.

FAFSA

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (known as the FAFSA) is a form you fill out annually to determine your eligibility for federal financial aid for students. Federal programs include Pell Grants, Stafford Loans, PLUS Loans, and Work-Study programs. The program is administered by Federal Student Aid, which is an office of the US Department of Education. Its mission is to ensure that all eligible individuals can access federally funded or guaranteed financial aid for college education.

Most accredited career colleges are eligible to administer Title IV federal education grants and will require you to complete the FAFSA before the first tuition payment is due. The FAFSA form is available online at the FAFSA website. The application is free and can be completed online or printed on paper.

What is the difference between the applications?

The FAFSA and the CSS Profile use two different systems to calculate your expected family contribution (EFC), which is the amount of money a school expects you or your family to contribute, and how much the school will award in grants and scholarships.

FAFSA requests a different set of financial information than the CSS Profile. For example, the FAFSA ignores the assets of siblings, all assets of certain families with less than $50,000 in income, and assets from both the home and the family farm. The CSS Profile collects information on estimated family income for the academic year, medical expenses, elementary and secondary school tuition, and unusual circumstances.

The CSS Profile is generally due earlier in the year than the FAFSA. Individual colleges set their own due dates, and you should plan ahead. Go to the College Board website, review the list of colleges you’re interested in, and get the expiration dates for the ones you want.

How to start?

If you’re thinking of applying to college or career school, the best way to get started is to log on to a free college directory website like the one below. Enter the search terms that are appropriate for you (such as “psychology degree” or “law degree online”). You will be given free information about schools or programs that fit your criteria. Shop around and make sure they offer financial help. Contact the schools and learn more about what they have to offer. When you’re accepted to a school, contact the school’s financial aid office right away and find out what applications are required.