The following pages are dedicated to navigating the two biggest forms that you are asked to fill out when applying to Brown, the FAFSA and CSS Profile. We have included a brief summary of each resource to clarify what they are, and why you have to fill out both!

Brief FAFSA Summary

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, is a financial information document that can be sent to a large number of schools. You will have to continue filling out FAFSA information every year throughout college. We have documented the assets, family factors, and tax documents you will need to complete the FAFSA. After you fill out the FAFSA, you be given an EFC value, or expected family contribution. This value represents how much your family can pay based on the information you inputted.

If you are trying to fill out the FAFSA and are presented with a website asking you to pay to fill it out, that is incorrect! The process of filling out the FAFSA is completely free and those are usually scammers trying to take advantage of students.

Brief CSS Summary

The CSS, or College Scholarship Service Profile, is a necessary form to apply for financial aid at Brown - although it is not used by every higher education institution. CSS Profiles help higher educational institutions determine how much non-federally funded financial aid a student needs, so CSS is necessary outside of the FAFSA.

https://profile.collegeboard.org/profile/ppi/participatingInstitutions.aspx

The link above lists the higher education institutions that utilize the CSS profile. The CSS goes into further detail in regard to your family's assets and can provide a more detailed insight into student financial needs. This website has another section that goes into what this form requires and what documents to have prepared, as well as the timeline of this process in comparison to the FAFSA submission process.