1. For Private College and Universities
The CSS Profile
For Private College and Universities

2. CSS/ Financial Aid Profile- “The Other FAFSA”
What is it?
Online application for student financial aid
Used by over 400 colleges, universities, professional schools, and scholarship programs to award non-federal grants and scholarships.
A detailed financial aid document that uses student and/or parent financial information
List provided by CollegeBoard
Do I need to complete it?
If it is required, the college or university will specify this requirement. (See list provided by CollegeBoard.)

3. A Comparison The FAFSA About 100 questions Free to file Income Driven
Tax Return – 1040, 1040A or 1040EZ
Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) of both the student and parent(s)
Asset Information
Asset protection for parents
Special Circumstances
Can't be reported on FAFSA, must report to each school separately
The CSS Profile®
About 300 questions
Charged a fee to file
Online filing only
Income Information
Same as for FAFSA
Asset Driven
Home Equity & Retirement Savings
Prior Year & Future Year Income (est.)
Special Circumstances
Open narrative box to add information or circumstances

4. CSS/ Financial Aid Profile cont’d
Where is it located?
Located on the CollegeBoard website.
Create a CollegeBoard account
Complete the profile
When should I submit it?
You may file the PROFILE as early as Oct. 1, However, you should file no later than two weeks before the EARLIEST priority filing date specified by your colleges or programs.

5. CSS/ Financial Aid Profile cont’d
What information is required to complete the CSS profile?
Type of tax return you and your parent(s) filed for the tax year (e.g., 1040, 1040 EZ, foreign return)
If your parents receive TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) or SSI (Supplemental Security Income)
If your parents are self-employed or own business(es) and/or farm(s) 
Your parents’ housing status (e.g., own, rent)
Your personal information, including your Social Security number

6. Financial Aid- The Basics
Federal Government awarded financial aid
FAFSA-
Application opens and should be submitted after October 1st
State Governments Aid
College and University
Merit-based Aid (based on achievement)
Financial Need ( based on household income and financial need) ( must require CSS profile)
Private agencies and organization scholarships (Coca-Cola, Dell Scholars Program)

7. Profile Registration Process
Step 1- Register
tailored to your family situation, based on your registration answers and the colleges or programs you select. After registering, you can securely save your application and return to complete it at any time, 24/7, using your collegeboard.org username and password
Complete the Application
Use the customized Pre-Application Worksheet and Instructions to help you complete the PROFILE. As you answer questions, the system provides online help and edits to minimize mistakes.
Submit the Application
The date and time you submit your completed application will be recorded based on Eastern Time.

8. CSS profile Payment Information
WHAT does the PROFILE cost?
The fee for the initial application and one college or program report is $25. Additional reports are $16. Payment may be made via credit or debit card.
Fee waivers are granted — based on use of an SAT fee waiver or on the information entered on the PROFILE application — to students who are first-time college applicants and are from families with low incomes. International students are not eligible for fee waivers. This waiver covers the application fee and the reporting fees for up to eight colleges or scholarship programs.
When are students notified that they received a PROFILE fee waiver?
Students find out if they are eligible for PROFILE fee waivers as part of the online payment process once they have completed the PROFILE application.
Will a student who does not receive an SAT fee waiver be considered for a PROFILE fee waiver?
Yes, first-time domestic students are considered based on the information submitted on their PROFILE application. Generally students are eligible for a PROFILE fee waiver if they come from a family with an annual parental income of $40,000 or less or if they are orphans or wards of the court under the age of 24.

9. CSS Profile F.A.Q’s
My parents are divorced and I just live with my mom. Do you need my dad's information too?
If your parents divorced and you live with your mother, she should give her information on the PROFILE application; you should not include your father's information on the PROFILE application except in Section NP - Information About Noncustodial Parent. If your mother has remarried, your stepfather must also give information on the PROFILE application. Some colleges may request that your father complete the Noncustodial PROFILE application (NCP). If the NCP is required you will be notified as part of the PROFILE process.
I was legally adopted and my parents got divorced. My mom remarried and now I carry my stepfather's name. How do I answer the Registration questions about my parents' marital status?
For Registration Question 11, you should choose "divorced," since your adoptive parents are divorced. Registration Question 12 refers to your custodial parents (your mother and stepfather), so you would answer remarried. (Your stepfather should also provide his information in the Parents' Sections of the PROFILE Application.)

10. Other Important Points to remember
If you have a legal guardian, that is not a parent, they complete the CSS profile.
In this case, the guardian should provide information about both of the student's biological parents by entering information about one parent in Section NP and the same information about the other parent in Section ES.