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hi. what is the CSS profile? is it different from the FAFSA? what does it do?

By Imperfikt (Imperfikt) on Friday, November 28, 2003 - 01:58 pm: Edit

oh yeah, does it cost anything? my friend said it was expensive but i thought the fafsa was free. is it government?

By Kewkiekid (Kewkiekid) on Saturday, November 29, 2003 - 12:37 am: Edit

CSS is by the collegeboard, it's in addition to the FAFSA and usually used by private colleges.

CSS is like $17 per school
FAFSA is free.

By Rowan (Rowan) on Monday, December 01, 2003 - 12:00 am: Edit

FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid).
1. Government.
2. Free.
3. File after January 1st, ASAP.
4. Need for EVERY school, if applying for aid, in order to qualify for ANY governmental and usually institutional aid.

CSS/PROFILE.
1. College Board, a "national, nonprofit association of schools and school systems, colleges and universities, and educational organizations." They are most famous for gouging students with such tests as the SAT I, SAT II and AP.
2. Registration fee ($5 online, $7 by phone) for application plus $18 for each school (usually only for private institutions). Plus, if you send in an application to one school, then decide to open another application and send to more, it's $7 to "process the request" and, again, $18 per school.
3. File "whenever." The college in question will have information about deadlines; usually sometime in early March for decisions released late March/early April.
4. Needed only for schools that specifically request it, but in addition to the FAFSA. It's a way for the institution to evaluate your need with what they have to offer in terms they can use. (Why they can't just use the FAFSA...)

So, in short: the FAFSA is free and mandantory for all wishing to receive any kind of aid. The CSS/PROFILE is corporate, expensive and usually necessary for aid at a private school (most especially the Ivies and privates in Top 25).

By Engineergirl (Engineergirl) on Friday, January 02, 2004 - 10:19 pm: Edit

Will anything happen if the CSS is not filed to colleges that require it? What if they only receive the FAFSA? Thanks

By Emeraldkity4 (Emeraldkity4) on Friday, January 02, 2004 - 10:24 pm: Edit

If your school requires PROFILE they probably have their own financial aid forms as well. If you don't do what is required to get financial aid, you probably won't get it.

It is certainly within your rights to withhold that information, just as it is within their right to withhold their money. Just depends on how bad you need it.
We needed it so we filled it out and submitted our W-2s and 1040 forms as well

By Dt123 (Dt123) on Saturday, January 03, 2004 - 08:21 am: Edit

Another thing about the FAFSA and Profile, the latter asks a lot more questions designed to probe your financial situation in more depth. So FAFSA is easy, Profile less easy. FAFSA asks questions A, B and C, Profile A-H. Also Profile computes your expected family contrubution using a substantially different formula, which depending on your assets and income can make a big difference in the final number.