resources

One profile, countless opportunities for funding.

The College Board's College Student Service (CSS) Profile is an application that allows students to apply for non-federal financial aid opportunities.

Leverage the CSS Profile to maximize financial aid for your degree.

Dreaming

Funding

Completing the CSS Profile is step one in securing non-federal funding.

css profile

The FAFSA is only half of the equation.

The CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE® is the financial aid application service of the College Board. Many private colleges and universities require that students submit a CSS PROFILE in addition to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).The CSS PROFILE determines your eligibility for non-government financial aid, such as the institutional grants, scholarships and loans.

Below is a comparison between the CSS PROFILE and the FAFSA.

FAFSA

apply january 1st

less specific

no minimum student contribution

free to apply

CSS Profile

Apply in the fall

more specific

yes minimum student contribution

$9 base fee + $16 fee per school

300+

participating private institutes*

The CSS Profile is one application you can use to apply for hundreds of private funding opportunities, making it easier to maximize your aid.

$14 billion

in annual nonfederal financial aid*

Not sure if the CSS Profile is worth it? It totally is! The CSS Profile connects students with billions of dollars of aid every year.

40%

of students qualify for a fee waiver*

Unlike the FAFSA (which is free), the CSS profile costs a baseline fee and per school fee... unless you're part of the 40% of students who qualify for a fee waiver.

* statistics provided by collegeboard.org

Related Resources

Deadlines for Early + Regular Decision

Start here -- a quick overview of the financial aid process before we get into the nitty gritty

CSS Worksheet

Breaking down the process of getting financial aid step by step from Application to Consolidation

Figure out financial aid once and for all.

Still not sure how to navigate all of this own your own? Explore our support packages and consider consulting one of our experts.

Discover our solutions