<p>SO yeah what is CSS/Financial Aid profile? Whats the difference between fafsa and CSS? Do we need to file both for colleges we apply for?</p>
<p>You need to look at the requirements for all the colleges you apply to. Not all colleges require the College Board Profile…only 300 or so out of all the thousands of colleges.</p>
<p>CSS PROFILE is another financial aid applicantion form that is not government based, not free, and used by only some colleges. It asks for more detailed financial information than the FAFSA, which is a governement based form. Only certain colleges ask for PROFILE, but the ones that tend to give the most money require it, as a general rule. Some colleges will only ask for PROFILE for the first year, and let you just do FAFSA afterwards. Some want it for all 4 years. Also some colleges have their own additional information application form.</p>
<p>Some things that are asked on PROFILE that are not in FAFSA are Primary Home equity, Non Custodial Parent information, sibling assets, sibling private schools costs. But the PROFILE is tailored to the schools using it, and some even more specific questions may be included such as type and value of the cars owned, specific hobby items, material of the fillings in ones teeth, etc. PROFILE schools may also ask for back financial info. You only completer PROFILE if a school you are applying to requires it.</p>
<p>Oh. I know NYU poly requires it but i don’t understand why they need it or what is it for?</p>
<p>Oh I seee thanks! What happens if they require it but i don’t fill it out? o.o</p>
<p>If they require the CSS Profile and you do not file it, the school will not
process your application for their need based aid.</p>
<p>If you do the FAFSA but not the required Profile, you will get a Pell Grant if you are eligible, and a Direct Loan. You will not get a dime of the institutional need based money the school offers.</p>
<p>I have to ask…why wouldn’t you complete the Profile if the college requires it and you want need based financial aid?</p>
<p>Oh! CSS profile is for need based aid? I didn’t really fully understand what it is for. Now i understand :). Yeah, it’s 16 dollars per school . Is there a fee waiver for it?</p>
<p>Schools require it because they want to take into consideration other financial issues that FAFSA does not ask about. They don’t want to give their own money to someone who is living in a house with a lot of home equity or with a huge 401K or has a well to do non custodial parent or have stashed money in siblings names. </p>
<p>If a school requires PROFILE and you don’t fill one out, you don’t get money from them. You would still get your federal/state money if you qualify for that. So you would be allowed to borrow $5500 freshman year from Direct Loans, some of it maybe subsidized, and if your family situation is considred truly low income, you can get up to $5550 in PELL money. You could also get any state money your state has, though they may require additional info too, to get it. But if a school says PROFILE is required and they don’t get one completed from you, they will not give you consideration for any financial aid that they may give out.</p>