Submit remaining CSS Profiles

Overview

Some RD schools require CSS Profile for institutional financial aid consideration. If not yet submitted, complete them immediately after Jan 1 application deadlines.

Who Needs CSS Profile

About 200 colleges require CSS Profile, including:

• All Ivies and most near-Ivies
• Many private liberal arts colleges (Amherst, Williams, Pomona, Swarthmore, etc.)
• A handful of publics (University of Michigan, UVA, UNC for out-of-state)
• Many elite technical schools (MIT, Caltech, CMU)

Check each school's financial aid website to confirm whether CSS Profile is required.

Fees

• First school: $25
• Each additional school: $16
• Fee waivers available for families with income under ~$100K or other qualifying circumstances
• Apply for waivers through College Board - automatic in most cases

Document Gathering

CSS Profile asks more detail than FAFSA:

• 2024 tax returns (federal and state)
• W-2s and 1099s
• Current year income estimates
• Home value and mortgage balance
• Investment accounts (taxable brokerage, mutual funds, etc.)
• Retirement accounts (listed but usually not assessed)
• 529 plan balances
• Small business or farm value (if applicable)
• Non-custodial parent financial information (if applicable)

Non-Custodial Parent

About 40% of CSS Profile schools require a separate Non-Custodial Parent (NCP) profile completed by the parent with whom the student does NOT primarily reside. If that parent is estranged or absent:

• Request an NCP waiver from each school's financial aid office
• Provide documentation of limited or no contact

Submission Procedure

1. Log in to cssprofile.collegeboard.org
2. Add each school individually (each has its own profile version - some have additional school-specific questions)
3. Complete each profile (it auto-fills from first submission)
4. Pay the fee or apply waiver
5. Submit

Deadline Awareness

• CSS Profile deadlines vary by school
• Most align with application deadline or slightly after
• Some schools allow 2-3 weeks of grace after application submission
• Check each school's financial aid website for specifics

After Submission

• Confirmation email from College Board
• School financial aid portal will show CSS Profile as received within 3-5 business days
• IDOC documents may be requested separately

Common Mistakes

• Forgetting to add each school (first submission doesn't auto-send to all)
• Using last year's tax data when current tax year is required
• Missing non-custodial parent form
• Submitting without all required supporting documents

If You're Filing Late

A slightly late CSS Profile is less problematic than a late FAFSA. Most schools will accept it but flag your aid application as delayed. Communicate with the financial aid office if you anticipate a delay.