CSS Profile
400 private colleges/universities and a few public universities with large endowments will use the CSS Profile as a tool to allocate their institutional grant monies to families. The CSS Profile, from the College Board, charges families $25 to complete a supplemental form (in addition to the FAFSA) that looks at a family's qualitative lifestyle choices, value of the family's primary residence and retirement assets. Students are charged an additional $16 for each college they wish to receive the information. Families can learn more and complete the CSS Profile at the link below. The CSS Profile is only used to determine how much institutional grant funds for which the student/family is eligible and odes not affect federal or state financial aid amounts. In Colorado, Colorado College and the University of Denver require the CSS Profile.
To complete the CSS profile families will need the same information as for the FAFSA and additionally:
- Life Insurance Plans
- Retirement Plans
- Equity from primary residence
- Investment value of business or farm
- NOTE: Some colleges that require the CSS Profile may ask for the non-custordial parent's information as well as custodial parent.