CSS Profile Confusion

<p>I am having a concern about the CSS profile. I bunch of the schools that I applied to say that they need me to submit the CSS profile by February. It is also my understanding that it costs money to submit the CSS profile to colleges. So let me get this straight; I have to pay money for schools to get my CSS profile to consider me for financial aid even though there is a chance I will not get accepted??!!! This seems really ridiculous to me. Am I getting something wrong here?! Please help me</p>

<p>No, you understand it perfectly.</p>

<p>But what if I cannot afford to send the CSS profile to a bunch of schools? I am fairly low-income, so it is pretty ironic how I have to pay a bunch of money to be considered for financial aid that I really need…</p>

<p>Yes that is true… However, there is a waiver for the profile for income-qualified students.</p>

<p>What is the cutoff to qualify for a waiver? My family income is about $48,000. Would I qualify?</p>

<p>Unfortunately, do you not qualify for a CSS profile fee waiver. The cost to submit the profile is $25 + $16 for each additional school. If you want institutional funds from a school that request the profile. If you do not submit the profile, you will not receive any aid. Even then $16 is a small price to pay when you need $50k in aid to make school happen. Should you be accepted to a school that wil give you a full financial aid package for 4 years, $200K is a good return on your $16.</p>

<p>I get you, but applying to college can be an expensive endeavor between application fees, test score fees, and profile fees. Sometimes as a student, you need to be proactive with how you are going to pay for this. I have had students work over the summer and part time during the school year to save up for this. </p>

<p>With the holidays just passing , instead of asking for a particular present, did you ask any one “instead of getting me ________, could you give me the money to pay for my CSS profile application fee/ If you Can’t pay the whole thing , could you pay for a school or 2.”</p>