This financial aid form is the key to non-federal aid at some colleges Greg Daugherty has worked 25+ years as an editor and writer for major publications and websites. He is also the author of two ...

Hundreds of colleges use the CSS Profile to award institutional grants and scholarships to students. The 2025-26 form opened on Oct. 1, 2024. Many, or all, of the products featured on this page are ...

While the Free Application for Federal Student Aid FAFSA determines eligibility for federal financial aid, the CSS Profile is used by certain colleges to award non-federal, institutional aid.

Applying to college is an exercise in paperwork: recommendations, essays, the application itself, and the FAFSA — the form that determines whether your student is eligible for federal financial aid.

The CSS Profile, managed by the College Board, helps students access institutional financial aid beyond federal support. Unlike the FAFSA, it provides colleges with a detailed view of income, assets, ...

Completing the CSS profile can help you qualify for non-federal aid opportunities. This form, unlike the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) , is used by a limited number of colleges. It ...

It allows Drexel to consider you for need-based grant aid. Drexel grants are considered gift aid; they don't need to be paid back. In 2024–2025, the average financial aid package was $38,216 for first ...

The CSS Profile, administered and maintained by the College Board, the same group that develops the SAT, opens the door to nonfederal scholarships and other kinds of institutional aid that can make a ...

The College Scholarship Service PROFILE (CSS Profile) is an application for non-federal student financial aid that is administered by the College Board, the creator of the SAT. Nearly 400 of their ...