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CSS Profile vs. FAFSA: Key Differences

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What’s Covered:

 

When applying for financial aid, one of the most important steps you’ll take is completing the correct documentation. But it can be confusing to know the difference between the FAFSA and the CSS Profile and when you need to use each one. To help you get some clarity, this post breaks down the differences between the FAFSA and CSS Profile.

 

The CSS Profile

 

Purpose

 

The CSS Profile is used to award institutional aid. This means aid that comes from the college itself. The CSS Profile is administered by the College Board, the same company that administers the SAT and AP exams.

 

Where to Submit the CSS Profile

 

You can submit the CSS Profile on the CSS Profile section of the College Board website. You’ll need a College Board account to submit the CSS Profile, so if you took an AP exam or the SAT, you can use those same login credentials. Otherwise, you’ll need to create an account.

 

Eligibility Deadline

 

The CSS Profile opens on October 1st. The College Board recommends double checking which of your schools have the earliest priority filing date and submitting it no later than 2 weeks before that deadline. In general, most schools want your financial aid forms submitted around the same time as your application deadline.

 

Cost

 

The cost to submit the CSS Profile is $25 for the first application and $16 for each application after. If you qualify for an SAT waiver, you will also qualify for a CSS Profile fee waiver. This is why it’s essential to use the same login information as you used for the SAT.

 

To be eligible for the SAT fee waiver, you must meet at least one of the following criteria:

 

  • enrolled in the Federal Free and Reduced Lunch Program (FRPL)
  • take part in a federal, state, or local program aiding students from low-income families
  • receive public assistance
  • live in federally subsidized housing or a foster home or are homeless
  • are a ward of the state or an orphan
  • have an annual family income below the USDA Income Eligibility Guidelines

 

Information Required

 

To complete the CSS Profile, you’ll need some basic financial information: recently completed tax returns, W-2 forms and other records of current year income, records of untaxed income and benefits, assets and bank statements.

 

Which Schools Require the CSS Profile

 

Over 400 schools require the CSS Profile, including top colleges and the Ivy League. So if you’re applying to a top school, chances are you’ll have to complete one. Some of these schools include:

 

American University Fairfield University
Santa Clara University
Amherst College Fordham University Scripps College
Bard College Franklin and Marshall College | F&M
Skidmore College
Bates College Furman University Smith College
Baylor University George Washington University | GW
Southern Methodist University | SMU
Bennington College Georgetown University
St. Anselm College
Bentley University Gettysburg College
St. Edward’s University
Berklee College of Music | Berklee Grinnell College St. Olaf College
Boston College | BC Hamilton College
Stanford University
Boston University | BU Hampshire College
Stetson University
Bowdoin College Harvard University
Stevens Institute of Technology
Brandeis University Harvey Mudd College | HMC
Stonehill College
Brown University Haverford College
Swarthmore College
Bryn Mawr College Hobart and William Smith Colleges | HWS
Syracuse University
Bucknell University Ithaca College
Texas Christian University | TCU
California Institute of Technology | Caltech Johns Hopkins University | JHU Trinity College
Carleton College Kenyon College Trinity University
Carnegie Mellon University | CMU Lafayette College Tufts University
Case Western Reserve University Lawrence University
Tulane University
Catholic University of America | CUA Lehigh University
Union College (New York)
Claremont McKenna College | CMC Loyola University Maryland
University of Chicago
Clark University Macalester College
University of Denver
Colby College Massachusetts Institute of Technology | MIT
University of Miami
Colgate University Minerva Schools at Keck Graduate Institute
University of Michigan
College of the Holy Cross | Holy Cross Mount Holyoke College
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | UNC
College of William & Mary | William & Mary Muhlenberg College
University of Notre Dame
College of Wooster New York University | NYU
University of Pennsylvania | UPenn
Colorado College Northeastern University
University of Richmond
Columbia University Northwestern University
University of Rochester
Connecticut College Oberlin College
University of San Francisco | USF
Cornell University Occidental College
University of Southern California | USC
Dartmouth College Pitzer College
University of Virginia | UVA
Davidson College Pomona College
Vanderbilt University
Denison University Principia College Vassar College
DePauw University Providence College
Villanova University
Dickinson College Reed College
Wake Forest University
Drexel University Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute | RPI
Washington and Lee University
Duke University Rhode Island School of Design | RISD
Wellesley College
Elon University Rhodes College
Wheaton College (Massachusetts)
Emerson College Rice University
Whitman College
Emory University Sacred Heart University | SHU
Williams College
   
Worcester Polytechnic Institute | WPI
    Yale University

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The FAFSA

 

Purpose

 

Unlike the CSS Profile, the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) is used to calculate your need-based financial aid, such as federal grants and loans. You’ll be required to fill out the FAFSA if you’re a student applying for financial aid to one or more colleges in the United States.

 

Where to Submit the FAFSA

 

The FAFSA should be submitted online on the FAFSA website. You’ll need to create a unique identifying password, or FSA ID. You’ll use the FSA ID to login to your account and fill out the FAFSA, as well as a legally binding signature once you complete the application. Because the FSA ID is unique to you, your parents will also need to create FSA IDs to sign your application.

 

Eligibility Deadline

 

If you plan to attend college for the 2021-2022 school year, the federal deadline for submitting the FAFSA is June 30, 2021. If you need to correct or update your FAFSA, those corrections must be submitted by September 11, 2021. Keep in mind that many colleges have their own FAFSA deadlines, so be sure to check with the schools you’re applying to.

 

Cost

 

As the name indicates, the FAFSA is free to submit and there is no cost.

 

Information Required

 

You’ll need to gather both your financial documents and your parents to complete the FAFSA. This includes information such as tax documents, W-2 forms, and records of your current savings or investments. Even if your income is below the taxable level, you should still have some kind of documentation of that income.

 

Which Schools Require the FAFSA

 

If you’re applying for federal aid, every school you apply to will require the FAFSA.

 

Do You Need to Submit Both?

 

It depends on the schools you’re applying to. If applying for aid, every school will require the FAFSA. However, not every school requires the CSS Profile. Check out the school’s website and application requirements or call the admissions office to confirm whether or not the school requires the CSS profile.

 

The good news is that the majority of the documentation needed to complete the FAFSA and the CSS Profile is the same, so once you complete the FAFSA, completing the CSS Profile should feel a little more straightforward.

 

How Much Can You Expect to Pay for College?

 

The price you’ll pay after financial aid depends on a variety of factors, such as the cost of the school, your family’s income, assets, and more. Don’t be scared away by high sticker prices, as many expensive private schools offer generous aid. In fact, for some families, private schools may be cheaper than in-state public universities after financial aid. 

 

If you want an estimated cost, you can use each school’s net price calculator, or sign up for a free CollegeVine account to get access to our cost calculator and chancing engine. These tools will estimate your costs for hundreds of schools in the U.S., and also let you know your personal chances of acceptance.

 

 


Short Bio
Asia is a graduate of Tulane University where she studied English and Public Health. She's held multiple writing positions and has experience writing about everything from furniture to higher education to nutrition and exercise.