You must have heard about the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), but to get additional financial aid, you must consider submitting the CSS Profile. This profile is the key to getting the most out of institutional grants and scholarships. Those students who couldn’t qualify for federal student aid, the CSS Profile becomes extremely important for them. Here’s everything you need to know about the CSS Profile.

What is the CSS Profile?

The CSS Profile form is administered by the College Scholarship Service (CSS), the financial aid division of the College Board. The CSS Profile is required by many universities to determine your eligibility for non-government financial aid, such as the institution’s own grants, loans and scholarships. The CSS Profile application will collect information about your family’s financial details such as their income, assets, and expenses. Many colleges do provide institutional financial aid to international students.

When do I Register and Submit the CSS Profile? 

You should register at least two weeks before the earliest college or scholarship priority application date you need to meet. This date is the college or program’s deadline for submitting a complete application.

Steps to Apply for Scholarships & Financial Aid

1. Create a College Board account

You might already have one if you took the SAT.

2. Gather your financial documents

Having the following documents on hand will make it easier for filling out the application:

• Tax returns for the previous two years
• W-2 forms or other records of income for the last two years
• Records of untaxed income for the last two years
• Bank statements
• Mortgage information
• Records of savings, stocks, bonds and trusts

3. Register for the CSS Profile

 This process includes filling in your basic details and choosing the universities where you want to send in your profile. The questions on your CSS Profile will be customized based on your answers during registration.

4. Fill out the application

According to the College Board, filling out the application takes roughly 45 minutes to two hours. Most of the questions are related to your parent’s or guardian’s finances so make sure your parents are with you when you are filling out the form. If they’re divorced or separated, have your custodial parent — the one you’ve lived with most in the last 12 months — help you complete those questions. If you lived with each parent for an equal amount of time, your custodial parent is the one who provided you with the most financial support in the last 12 months.

5. Have a parent complete the Noncustodial Profile, if necessary

This step only applies if your parents are divorced or separated and the universities where you are applying requires the Noncustodial Profile. For more information, visit the College Board’s website.

6. Find out you’re eligible for a fee waiver

 The College Board automatically determines if you qualify for a waived application fee based on your responses. Generally, you’ll qualify for one if you’re an incoming freshman and your family’s annual income is $40,000 or less. If you don’t qualify for a fee waiver, you’ll have to pay the $25 application fee before you can submit the form.

7. Submit the application

Double-check your details first! Once you submit it, you can’t change your answers electronically. 

Website to register: https://cssprofile.collegeboard.org/

Some important points to remember:

• You cannot lie on the CSS profile. The penalties for lying on the CSS Profile include, but are not limited to, fines of up to $20,000 and up to five years of jail time, in addition to repaying the financial aid received by the student.

• Ask your UniRely Counselor for an empty CSS Profile document and fill it with a pencil or pen before starting with your actual CSS Profile online! Your counselor will help you fill out your entire application so you can be sure of your answers.