<p>Anybody else see a problem with this? I'm poor! I don't want to spend $25 to ask a school for money!</p>
<p>drcoffeebean…if you are REALLY poor, you might qualify for a fee waiver from the College Board for a limited amount of CSS Profile filings. </p>
<p>Think of it this way…if you pay $25 and you get $10,000 in aid, that’s a pretty good return.</p>
<p>If your schools only require the FAFSA, that’s free.</p>
<p>OP I do agree with you. It is totally ironic…or is it “moronic.” I’ve always believed the financial aid part of this should be picked up by the colleges that hire College Board as a third party provider.</p>
<p>I agree there is a strong irony there, but it’s similar to the loan origination fee (points) on your mortgage – a fee paid “to cover the costs of evaluating and processing the loan.”</p>
<p>At least CB does give out some fee waivers, my **** bank never does!</p>
<p>The PROFILE service provides fee waivers automatically to domestic (U.S. citizens or eligible noncitizens) first-time students from families with low incomes and limited assets. (Fee waivers are not available to international students.)</p>
<p>In an effort to reach as many qualifying students as possible, the PROFILE fee waiver process is fully automated based on the family and financial information given in the application. PROFILE fee waiver guidelines are as follows:</p>
<p> The PROFILE fee waiver program applies the USDA reduced price lunch income guidelines to the CSS Institutional Methodology (IM) definition of total parent income. Total parental income includes both taxable and untaxed income, with the exception of the Earned Income Credit. More information about current reduced price lunch income guidelines may be found at [School</a> Meals](<a href=“http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd]School”>Child Nutrition Programs | Food and Nutrition Service).</p>
<p> Parental assets are also included in the fee waiver eligibility assessment. Dependent students whose parents report net assets in the excess of $34,1202 are not eligible for a fee waiver.</p>
<p> The fee waiver covers the application and six total school reports. First-time students file an average of three PROFILE reports; thus the fee waiver process meets the needs of most entering students.</p>
<p> Payment is not required until the application is submitted. When students submit their applications, they will be notified of their charges or their fee waiver receipt.</p>
<p> Students who do not qualify for the fee waiver or who need to submit their reports to more than six schools may pay for their PROFILE charges using a credit card, debit card, online check or a Fee Payment Code.</p>
<p><a href=“http://professionals.collegeboard.com/profdownload/PROFILE_fees.pdf[/url]”>http://professionals.collegeboard.com/profdownload/PROFILE_fees.pdf</a></p>
<p>What really chaps my hide is that the CSS Profile costs $16 per each additional school (?$25 for the first one?) and their website is crappy, with no real help on answering the questions, no phone support, and corrections need to be submitted BY HAND.</p>
<p>Compare this with FAFSA - totally free, great website, with little “help” boxes to click on for nearly all questions (and it actually helps!), FABULOUS phone support- very friendly and helpful, and corrections can be made online.</p>
<p>And… (wait for it) … it’s run by the GOVERNMENT. This little fact must really make the rightwingers’ heads spin…</p>
<p>I’m always sure to really complement the FAFSA phone support people --their system is way, way WAY better than that of the money-sucking College Board, and I tell them so.</p>