You should pick up a copy of the CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE registration packet available in your counseling or career center in early September of your senior year. Review the instructions contained in the packet and in particular, look for the section that lists the colleges and scholarship programs which require or accept the CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE.

If you find a college you are interested in is listed, contact the college to determine if they actually require it.

If it is not required, it is not necessary to submit the CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE to the college.

If the CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE is required you need to start moving along this branch of the Financial Aid Road Map.

What kind of colleges generally require the CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE?

Typically, private colleges which have a substantial amount of their own financial aid money (or institutional funds), will require the use of the CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE. Public colleges, like state universities, receive most of their financial aid money from government programs. At times, you may find that a college may want both the FAFSA and CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE forms and, in addition, may require their own supplementary institutional forms.

It is your responsibility to determine which schools require which forms. College catalogs may not be completely updated with the most current information about the CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE system. Remember, if you have any doubts, simply call the financial aid office of any schools at which you plan to apply and ask for specific information about whether they require the CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE and/or institutional applications in addition to the FAFSA.

Who provides and processes this CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE?

The CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE application was developed by the College Scholarship Service (CSS). Colleges can use this application to decide on how to award institutional funds to qualified students. The CSS is a branch of the College Board which is a non-profit membership organization consisting of approximately 3,000 colleges. It is the organization which sponsors the SAT programs, the CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE, and other services.

Does the CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE cost anything to use?

YES! As of this writing, the College Scholarship Service, which supervises this process will be charging the following fees.

A $5.00 registration fee

A $14.50 fee for each college that you designate to receive the CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE information.

Is there a difference between the CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE and the FAFSA?

There are some fundamental differences between the PROFILE and the FAFSA.

The FAFSA is free, while the PROFILE can cost over $100.00 depending on how many colleges you want to receive the PROFILE information.

The FAFSA indicates eligibility for federal, state and institutional financial aid by determining your Expected Family Contribution using a set of calculations called the Federal Methodology. The CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE indicates your eligibility for INSTITUTIONAL financial aid by determining your Expected Family Contribution using a different set of calculations called the Institutional Methodology. The CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE requires information about home equity and other financial factors which the FAFSA does not require.

The CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE is designed to start the financial aid process a little earlier than FAFSA. Determine the financial aid deadlines of the colleges which require the CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE. Submit the CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE registration, including the fees, about 6 weeks before the college deadlines for financial aid.

What steps do I need to follow to start on the CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE path to getting institutional aid?

Step 1--Determine which schools require this particular form.. It is best to start doing this in early September.

Step 2--Fill out the CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE Registration Form to start the process in motion. This registration form should be available at your high school counseling of career center. (If not, call the CSS branch of the College Board to request one). The registration form asks you some basic questions that allows the CSS to develop a customized financial aid application for you based on the colleges you select. The primary purpose of the registration form is to collect background information about you and to have you list the colleges that you want to receive the PROFILE information. This form also notifies you to pay the fees required to provide your CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE information to your designated schools.

Step 3--Submit your registration well ahead of CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE deadlines. Many independent colleges have financial aid deadlines that are earlier than others. One supposed advantage of the PROFILE (according to the CSS) is the actual process of applying for financial aid starts earlier than the FAFSA.

Step 4--Complete your CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE Probably the easiest way to register for the PROFILE is to simply call the toll free PROFILE registration service at 1-800-778-6888 from 8 a.m. to midnight, eastern time, seven days a week. A few weeks after registering you should receive your customized PROFILE forms in the mail. With this form you will be able to apply for aid at the colleges you designated. Those colleges will get your CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE information and use it to calculate your eligibility for their institutional funds. The form includes both generic questions to which all PROFILE applicants must respond and questions that pertain to only the schools you applied to. A Cover Letter will tell you what you need to do and inform you about all financial aid deadlines and requirements for the colleges you designated on your registration form. Read the instructions provided in this letter carefully.

Step 5--Send the completed profile back to the CSS. CSS will distribute copies of your profile to the colleges you have designated. You will receive a CSS Acknowledgment Data Confirmation Report reviewing your information and listing the colleges to receive your PROFILE data.