The CSS Profile is an online application created and maintained by the United States-based College Board that allows college students to apply for non-federal financial aid. It is used by about 300 colleges, universities, and scholarship organizations to award institutional financial aid. Completing the CSS Profile can be cumbersome, but it is necessary for colleges and universities to gather the data they need to award their limited financial aid grants and scholarships in a way thats equitable.

Here are some key points about the CSS Profile:

• The CSS Profile is different from the FAFSA, the free U.S. Department of Education form that determines a students eligibility for federal financial aid.
• The CSS Profile requires tax documents from the same year as the FAFSA.
• Most students complete the application in their senior year of high school, and schools may have different deadlines.
• The CSS Profile is free for families who make up to $100,000 a year.
• Some colleges may require the CSS Profile from both biological parents, and some may also require divorced or separated parents to complete separate applications.

To complete the CSS Profile, students can sign in to the application on the College Board website starting October 1 each year. The application collects information used by hundreds of colleges, universities, professional schools, and scholarship programs to award financial aid from sources outside of the federal government. The College Board sends the application to the colleges and scholarship programs chosen by the student.