The CSS Profile is a financial aid application run by the College Board that a few hundred colleges, mostly private, use to award their own grants and scholarships. It is separate from the FAFSA, which handles federal aid like Pell Grants and federal student loans. If any college on your list requires the Profile, you file both. The 2027-28 CSS Profile opened October 1, 2026, for students starting college in fall 2027.
Filing costs $25 for the first college and $16 for each additional one, but it is free for many families. Undergraduates whose family adjusted gross income is $100,000 or less get an automatic fee waiver, as do students who qualified for an SAT fee waiver and orphans or wards of the court under 24. The Profile asks more questions than the FAFSA, so plan on a couple of hours with your tax returns and account statements open.
Which colleges require the CSS Profile
Most CSS Profile schools are selective private colleges and universities that give large amounts of their own need-based aid. A small number of public universities and some scholarship programs also use it. Most public universities and community colleges use only the FAFSA.
The College Board publishes a list of participating schools and programs on the CSS Profile website, and each college’s financial aid page states its requirements. Check both, because some colleges require the Profile only from students applying for institutional aid, and some require it from both parents when parents are divorced or separated.
CSS Profile vs. FAFSA
The two forms overlap, but they measure need differently. The FAFSA uses a federal formula to produce a Student Aid Index (SAI). The CSS Profile feeds each college’s own formula, often called the institutional methodology, and colleges can weigh the answers differently.
| Feature | FAFSA | CSS Profile |
|---|---|---|
| Run by | U.S. Department of Education | College Board |
| Used for | Federal aid, most state aid, many college awards | The college’s own grants and scholarships |
| Cost | Free | $25 first school, $16 each additional; free for many families |
| Opened for 2027-28 | September 2026 | October 1, 2026 |
| Tax year used for 2027-28 | 2025 | 2025, plus estimates for the current year |
| Home equity | Not counted | Asked for; many colleges count some or all of it |
| Noncustodial parent | Not required | Often required on a separate Profile |
| Siblings in college | No longer reduces the SAI | Many colleges still adjust for it |
| Length | Shorter, with IRS data transfer | Longer, more detailed questions |
The biggest practical differences are home equity and divorced parents. A family with modest income but a paid-off house may show less need on the Profile than on the FAFSA. A student whose parents are divorced will usually need the noncustodial parent to file too, and that parent may have their own fee or qualify for a waiver if their AGI is $100,000 or less.
What you need before you start
Gather these before logging in. Having them ready is the difference between a two-hour session and several frustrating evenings.
- Parents’ and student’s 2025 federal tax returns, plus W-2s and 1099s
- Records of untaxed income such as child support received, untaxed retirement contributions and veterans benefits
- Current balances for checking, savings, brokerage accounts and 529 plans
- An estimate of your home’s market value and the mortgage balance
- Business or farm records if a parent owns one
- Expected 2026 and 2027 income if it will change, for example because of a job loss
- A College Board account (the same login used for the SAT and AP scores)
How to file the CSS Profile
- Sign in at the CSS Profile site with the student’s College Board account and choose the 2027-28 Profile.
- Add each college or program that requires it. You can add more later, each with its own fee unless you have a waiver.
- Answer the household section: who lives with the student, parents’ marital status, and how many family members will be in college.
- Enter parent income, assets and expenses from the documents above, then the student’s own income and assets.
- Answer any school-specific questions that appear for your colleges.
- Use the explanation section at the end to describe anything the numbers do not show, such as medical bills, a recent layoff or support of a grandparent.
- Review, then pay or confirm the fee waiver and submit. Save the confirmation.
- If a parent lives separately and a college requires it, send that parent the invitation to complete a noncustodial Profile.
- Watch your email for IDOC instructions. Many Profile colleges use the College Board’s IDOC service to collect tax returns and other documents after you submit.
Estimates are allowed when a document is not ready. You can correct figures later through each college’s aid office.
Deadlines and timing
Each college sets its own CSS Profile deadline. For early decision and early action, aid deadlines often fall between November 1 and November 15, so the college can send an aid offer with the admission decision. Regular decision aid deadlines usually fall between January and March. Submit the Profile about a week before the earliest deadline on your list, which leaves time for IDOC and any noncustodial parent form.
Returning students at many colleges must also file a new Profile each year to keep receiving institutional aid. Mark the renewal date on your calendar after your first year.
Costs and fee waivers in practice
Example: Hannah applies to six colleges, and four require the CSS Profile. Her parents’ 2025 AGI is $142,000, so she does not qualify for the income waiver. Her cost is $25 for the first school plus $16 for each of the other three, a total of $73. If her family’s AGI had been $98,000, the Profile would have cost nothing, and she would not need to apply for the waiver separately because it is calculated from her answers.
Example: Carlos’s parents are divorced. He lives with his mother, whose AGI is $61,000, and his father earns about $120,000. Carlos’s own Profile is free because of his mother’s income. Two of his colleges require a noncustodial Profile, so his father files one and pays the fees, $25 plus $16. One of the colleges counts the father’s income and offers a smaller grant than its calculator estimated using his mother’s numbers alone. Carlos’s family asks the aid office about a noncustodial waiver, which some colleges grant when the parent has no contact or support role, and supplies a letter from his counselor.
Mistakes that cost families money
- Listing retirement accounts as regular assets. The Profile asks about retirement savings in a separate question. Putting 401(k) or IRA balances in the investments field can inflate your assets.
- Guessing home value high. Use a realistic estimate such as a recent appraisal or tax assessment, not the highest number from a listing site.
- Skipping the explanation section. Aid officers read it, and it is the main place to explain a one-time bonus, a medical expense or a drop in income.
- Missing IDOC. An aid file can stall for weeks if documents are not uploaded, even when the Profile itself is complete.
- Filing for schools that do not require it. Every extra college costs $16 unless you have a waiver. Confirm requirements first.
Common questions
Do I have to fill out both the FAFSA and the CSS Profile?
If a college on your list requires the Profile, yes. The FAFSA is still needed for federal grants, federal loans and most state aid. The FAFSA is free, and the 2027-28 form opened in September 2026.
How much does the CSS Profile cost?
It costs $25 for the first college and $16 for each additional college. Undergraduates with family AGI up to $100,000, students who received an SAT fee waiver, and orphans or wards of the court under 24 file free.
How long does the CSS Profile take?
Most families need about one to three hours if their documents are ready. Families with a business, rental property or divorced parents should expect longer. You can save your progress and come back.
Does the CSS Profile count home equity?
It asks for your home’s value and mortgage balance. Each college decides how much equity to count, and many cap it at a multiple of family income. The FAFSA does not count the family home at all.
Can I edit the CSS Profile after submitting?
You generally cannot reopen the submitted form yourself. Send corrections directly to each college’s financial aid office, which can update your file and recalculate aid.
Before you submit
- Confirm which colleges on your list require the Profile and their aid deadlines.
- Check whether a noncustodial parent Profile is required at each school.
- Have 2025 tax returns, account balances and a realistic home value ready.
- Write a short note for the explanation section if anything changed.
- Watch for IDOC emails and upload documents promptly.
Editorial note: This article is general information, not financial advice. Fees and dates were checked as of November 2026; confirm requirements with the College Board’s CSS Profile site and each college’s financial aid office, and see StudentAid.gov for the FAFSA.