The FAFSA is the primary way to apply for college financial aid, but you may also be required to fill out the CSS Profile when you attend about 400 different institutions in the U.S. Here's what ...

The service profile is free for domestic undergraduates with a family income of up to $100,000. Otherwise, the cost to submit is $25 for the first application and $16 for each subsequent application.

The CSS Profile is like a colonoscopy of your finances. You may need recovery time when done. And to add insult, you pay The College Board a fee every time you share CSS with a different school.

In contrast, the CSS Profile focuses on grants, scholarships, and loans provided by individual schools. It involves a fee of $25 for the first institution and $16 for each additional school.

Returning undergraduate students: 2025 - 2026 FAFSA only by 4/15. Please note that filing the CSS Profile and the FAFSA is only necessary if you are seeking need-based financial aid. They are not used ...