This is the 4th in our email series to help you better understand and navigate the financial aid process! If you missed the earlier ones, you can find the first one, the second one, and the third one on our website.

REMINDER: October 1 is the first day you can access, complete, and submit the FAFSA and CSS Profile financial aid forms. 

CSS PROFILE: WHAT IT IS

• The CSS Profile is an additional financial aid form required by approximately 175 colleges for institutional needs-based financial aid
• The CSS Profile would rarely (if ever) be required for merit aid scholarships
• It is a more in-depth look at a family's resources and financial profile
• There is NEVER an instance when you would file the CSS Profile and not file a FAFSA -- the CSS Profile is an additional form beyond the FAFSA required by certain colleges (99% of CSS Profile colleges are private)

CSS PROFILE: WHO NEEDS TO FILE

• You can find a list of institutions that require the CSS Profile here
• You will want to double-check the financial aid webpages for each college on your student's list to confirm whether a CSS Profile will be required (the linked list is meant to be exhaustive, but occasionally we have heard of a college missing from the list that does still expect a CSS Profile filing)
• DIVORCED OR SEPARATED PARENTS: 
  • Most CSS college require financial information and filings from BOTH parents
  • The above list includes a column titled CSS Profile - Non-Custodial Parents 
  • For all colleges that say "Yes" to the Non-Custodial Form, both parents must separately file the CSS Profile
    • The primary custodial parent and the student will file the primary CSS Profile
    • The non-custodial parent will create his/her own log-in and file separately
    • Custodial and non-custodial parents will not be able to access or see one another's filings or financial information
    • FAQs relating to the Non-Custodial Parent Form are here
  • If the non-custodial parent is unknown or is not involved in the student's life (note this is a high bar to prove), the student may petition each individual CSS Profile college for a waiver

CSS PROFILE: HOW & WHEN TO FILE

• How Long Will it Take? 
  • Budget 3-4 hours to complete the CSS Profile -- think of it as a weekend afternoon project
  • You can break it up into multiple sessions, but be sure to save your work on each screen (it should prompt you to do this)

• When's the Deadline?
  • You can file the FAFSA and then file the CSS Profile later -- there is no need to file both forms on the same day or same weekend
  • Deadlines vary by college
  • You have the option to send the CSS Profile to different colleges at different times
  • The deadline for filing the FAFSA (and CSS Profile) may correspond with the college's early-action or early-decision date (often November 1 or November 15) 
  • But some colleges give families until January or February to file these forms
  • Know your deadlines!

• Where do we Start? 
  • On October 1, go here to start the CSS Profile form (be careful you are choosing Fall 2023 form)
  • You will need your student's College Board log-in credentials (the same login for their SAT and AP scores)
  • Log-in as the student and navigate to the CSS Profile to start

• How much does it cost?
  • Unlike the FAFSA, which is free, the CSS Profile costs per filing
  • $25 for the initial filing, $16 per additional filing

CSS PROFILE: LOGISTICS OF FILING

• Gather all documents used to complete the FAFSA, plus mortgage information for your primary residence and other homes; data relating to cars, farms, businesses, and other assets; information about extraordinary expenses (including health/medical, private school tuition for younger siblings, care for elderly parents) or any other significant events affecting income or assets
• The CSS Profile page includes several helpful video tutorials. Helpful hints in yellow boxes will pop up as you complete the form. Follow those hints to minimize mistakes.
• You can hit “save and continue” if you are unable to complete the CSS Profile in one sitting.
• Each college may have supplemental information requests. Be sure to put those in the supplemental information sections so that you aren’t “over-sharing” additional financial data with the other colleges on your student’s list. 
• One advantage of the CSS Profile over the FAFSA is that the CSS Profile does give you a designated space where you can provide context and additional information about your family's financial picture (for example, if your 2021 income was unusually high due to a one-time bonus or if you lost your job in 2022 and haven't been able to find another job). 

WHAT HAPPENS AFTER WE FILE?

• Like the FAFSA, your CSS Profile filing may be flagged for additional verification. You will be instructed how and when to submit additional documents (often through the Institutional Document Service (IDOC)). You can log-in to IDOC through the College Board website and follow the prompts to upload the required documents. College Board provides a tutorial video with helpful tips for complying with verification requests. You can check the status of your submitted documents through the IDOC dashboard.

ANNUAL OBLIGATION

Keep in mind that you will need to refile the FAFSA (and if required by the college where the student enrolls, the CSS Profile) every year in order to keep accessing needs-based financial aid, including federal student loans. 

Please also bear in mind that changes in your financial picture from year to year can increase or decrease the student's financial aid package. 

Be sure to review the upcoming FAFSA changes here -- divorced/separated parents and parents with multiples or stair-step children who will be in college at the same time need to pay particular attention to these changes going into effect over the next two years.
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