The CSS Profile is a financial aid form that is required by certain colleges and universities to determine eligibility for need-based institutional scholarships, grants, or loans. It is not a substitute for the FAFSA but is instead a supplement for specific colleges and universities. The CSS Profile goes into more detail than the FAFSA, considering the value of a family's primary residence, retirement savings, and any annuities. Notably, the CSS Profile does not consider the cash value of a life insurance policy as an asset.
Characteristics | Values |
---|---|
What is it? | An online application used to award institutional aid, grants and scholarships. |
Who is it for? | Students attending certain colleges. |
Who uses it? | More than 250 institutions nationwide. |
What does it consider? | Income, bank accounts and assets, as well as the value of a family's primary residence, retirement savings and annuities. |
What is the cost? | $25 to submit to one college, $16 for each additional college. Free for families with an adjusted gross income of $100,000 or less. |
When is it released? | 1st October each year. |
Deadline? | No national deadline; each college has its own deadline. |
What is the difference between CSS Profile and FAFSA? | CSS Profile goes into more detail than FAFSA and is more flexible. |
What is included in the CSS Profile? | Life insurance plans, home equity on a family's primary residence, income and assets held by a non-custodial parent in cases of divorce. |
What You'll Learn
- Life insurance cash value does not need to be reported on the CSS form
- Retirement accounts are not included in parent assets
- Medical and dental insurance expenses are included
- The CSS profile can be submitted under the student or parent's College Board account
- The CSS profile costs $25 to submit to one college
Life insurance cash value does not need to be reported on the CSS form
The College Scholarship Service (CSS) Profile is an online application used by more than 250 institutions to determine a student's eligibility for institutional financial aid, grants, and scholarships. The CSS Profile is a product of the testing giant College Board, which also runs the SATs. It is a less commonly discussed part of the college application journey, as it is only required by certain colleges.
The CSS Profile is more detailed and invasive than the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). It looks at every part of a family's finances that the FAFSA considers, including income, bank accounts, and assets. However, it also goes further by considering the value of a family's primary residence, retirement savings, and any annuities.
While the CSS Profile requires extensive information about a family's finances, there are certain things that do not need to be reported. Importantly, the cash value of a life insurance policy does not need to be reported on the CSS form. This is because the CSS Profile does not consider this as an asset.
In addition to the cash value of life insurance, there are other assets that do not need to be reported on the CSS Profile. For example, the value of any official retirement accounts, such as 401(k)s, 403(b)s, or IRAs, are not included in the calculation of parent assets. The CSS Profile will ask a separate question about the value of retirement accounts, but most colleges only glance at this information and do not include it when determining financial aid eligibility.
Furthermore, the CSS Profile does not require information about personal possessions and household goods, such as clothing, furniture, cars, or boats. It is important to note, however, that the CSS Profile does consider the value of a family's primary residence, which is not included in the FAFSA.
In conclusion, while the CSS Profile requires a comprehensive overview of a family's financial situation, there are certain assets that do not need to be reported, including the cash value of life insurance policies.
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Retirement accounts are not included in parent assets
The CSS Profile is different from the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) in that it takes a deeper, more detailed look at a family's finances. It considers a family's primary residence, retirement savings, and any annuities. However, it is important to note that retirement accounts are not included in parent assets on the CSS Profile. The Profile will ask a separate question about the value of your retirement accounts, and you can include those totals there. Most colleges and universities will only glance at this information and will not include the value of your retirement accounts when calculating your financial aid eligibility.
When completing the CSS Profile, it is important to gather all the necessary information and documentation, including information about your retirement accounts. This includes the most recent annual contributions and account balances for any retirement accounts, such as 401(k)s, 403(b)s, or IRAs. It is also important to note that the CSS Profile is more complex and invasive than the FAFSA, so it is recommended to give yourself plenty of time to assemble all the necessary information and documentation.
In conclusion, retirement accounts are not included in parent assets on the CSS Profile. However, it is important to disclose the value of your retirement accounts separately, as this may impact your financial aid eligibility.
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Medical and dental insurance expenses are included
The CSS Profile is a financial aid form that is required for grants and scholarships from about 250 colleges. It is a product of the testing giant, the College Board, which runs the SATs. The CSS Profile is an in-depth application that takes a detailed look at a family's finances, including income, bank accounts, assets, the value of a family's primary residence, retirement savings, and any annuities.
The CSS Profile is more flexible than the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) and allows colleges to be more flexible in how they handle the results. While the FAFSA uses a standard formula to determine financial need, the CSS Profile allows colleges to use their own formulas and weigh various parts of a student's financial information differently.
The CSS Profile is typically longer and more complex than the FAFSA and requires gathering various financial documents, including tax returns, W-2 or 1099 forms, current balance amounts for savings and checking accounts, information about retirement accounts, and details about primary and investment properties.
The CSS Profile is used by a limited number of colleges and is not a substitute for the FAFSA. It is important to fill out both applications if the college requires the CSS Profile, as the FAFSA is necessary for federal student aid, including grants, work-study, and loans.
The CSS Profile is an important tool for students and families to access financial aid and should be completed and submitted each year. It is recommended to start the process early and gather all the required information to maximize aid eligibility and ensure that the application is submitted on time.
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The CSS profile can be submitted under the student or parent's College Board account
The CSS Profile is an online application used by colleges and scholarship programs to award non-federal institutional aid. It is a product of the testing giant the College Board (which runs the SATs), and it is the application required to access grants and scholarships from about 250 colleges. The CSS Profile goes into greater detail than the FAFSA, considering the value of a family's primary residence, retirement savings, and any annuities.
The application process is straightforward. First, gather the appropriate information, including tax returns, W-2 or 1099 forms, current savings and checking account balances, and information about your primary residence. Then, log in to your College Board account and fill out the application, answering questions about your life, and providing personal and financial information. Once you have completed the application, submit it by selecting the schools you would like to send it to and paying any application fees.
After submitting the application, you can review your dashboard, which includes your payment receipt and any next steps, such as uploading additional documents. You can also add additional schools at any time through your dashboard. If you made a mistake or need to include additional information, you can update your application by clicking "Correct Your CSS Profile" on your dashboard.
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The CSS profile costs $25 to submit to one college
The CSS Profile is a financial aid form that is required by certain colleges to access grants and scholarships. It is produced by the College Board, the same organisation that runs the SATs. It costs $25 to submit the CSS Profile to one college. This is the initial application fee. If you want to apply to more than one college, it costs $16 for each additional institution. So, for example, if you want to apply to three colleges, it will cost $57 in total.
However, some students may qualify for a fee waiver. For example, if you live in the US and your family's adjusted gross income is $100,000 or less, you can submit the CSS Profile for free. The same is true if you qualified for an SAT fee waiver or if you are an orphan or ward of the court under the age of 24. If you are eligible for a fee waiver, you will be notified when you fill out the form.
The CSS Profile is different from the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). While the FAFSA determines eligibility for federal student loans and Pell Grants, the CSS Profile is required by specific colleges to access their financial aid funds. The CSS Profile goes into more detail than the FAFSA, considering not just income, bank accounts and assets, but also the value of a family's primary residence, retirement savings and annuities.
The CSS Profile is released on October 1 each year, but individual colleges set their own deadlines, which are usually between January 1 and March 31. It is recommended that you submit the CSS Profile at least two weeks before the deadline.
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Frequently asked questions
No, the cash value of a life insurance policy does not need to be reported on the CSS Profile.
The CSS Profile is an application required by certain colleges to access institutional grants and scholarships, whereas the FAFSA is the universal application required by every higher education institution for students to obtain federal aid. The CSS Profile also considers a family's primary residence, retirement savings, and annuities, whereas the FAFSA does not.
It costs $25 to submit the CSS Profile to one college and $16 for each additional college. Families with adjusted gross incomes of $100,000 or less can fill out the form for free.