Many schools will require you to fill out the College-Scholarship Service (CSS) profile to be eligible for non-federal, institutional aid - free aid that comes directly from the college.

Overview

The College Board’s CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE® is an online application that collects information used by almost 400 colleges and scholarship programs to award financial aid from sources outside of the federal government - more than $9 billion! Just as you must fill out the FAFSA to be eligible for federal aid, many schools require that you fill out the CSS Profile to be eligible for institutional aid. After you submit your application, the College Board sends it to the colleges and scholarship programs you have chosen.

Who Should Submit

Not all colleges and scholarship programs require the PROFILE application. You can check your colleges’ information to determine whether they require the CSS Profile. A list of participating colleges can be found on the CSS Homepage.

Note: while undocumented students are not eligible for Federal Aid through the FAFSA, they can qualify for aid through the CSS and should fill out the CSS Profile.

When to Register and Submit

You may complete the CSS Profile as early as October 1. You should submit no later than two weeks before the EARLIEST college or scholarship priority application date you need to meet. This date is the college or program’s deadline for submitting a completed PROFILE application.

Once you register, you can complete the PROFILE application right away or save your data and return to it later. The CSS Profile is even more complex than the FAFSA, so it takes time and organization to fill out correctly. You’ll want to get started as soon as possible. Make sure to complete and submit the application by the deadlines your colleges or scholarship programs specify.

How Much it Costs

As of October 2021, the CSS Profile™ is free to students with family incomes up to $100,000.

Step 1: Register

Use your College Board username and password or sign up for a new account. If you created an account for the SAT or to view your PSAT or AP scores, you should use the same username and password for your CSS Profile application.

Step 2: Complete the Application

As you answer questions, the system builds an application tailored to your family’s situation. The application provides online help and edits to guide you. You do not need to complete the application in one sitting; save your application and return to complete it at any time.

You will need to have ready:

• Most recently completed tax returns.

• W-2 forms and other records of current year income.

• Records of untaxed income and benefits for the current and previous tax years.

• Current bank statements.

• Records of savings, stocks, bonds, trusts etc.

Click here for a helpful step-by-step tutorial.

Step 3: Submit the Application

Before submitting, the system will inform you whether you qualified for the fee waiver or will need to pay. Once done, your payment and application submission will be shown on your CSS dashboard. Additionally, on your dashboard you can begin adding colleges and programs that you have applied to. When done, you’ll be notified of additional documents needed by each college/programs and should send the information directly to the university.

Undocumented Students (“Dreamers”)

An undocumented student or a “dreamer” is one who is born outside of the United States and is not a U.S. citizen or legal resident. There is no federal law that prevents U.S. colleges from admitting undocumented students. Colleges usually set their own rules on admitting undocumented students, and thus you will want to contact the colleges you are interesting in attending to research their policies.

Regarding funding, undocumented students, unless considered an eligible non-citizen*, are ineligible to receive federal financial aid for college and should not apply for the FAFSA. However, undocumented students can get financial aid or scholarships for college in other ways:

Private Colleges

Private colleges often have special funds available for undocumented students. To apply for this financial aid, you may have to fill out the CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE or the college’s own forms. Check with the admission or financial aid office at each college you are interested in to find out its requirements.

Eligible Scholarships

There are many scholarship opportunities, and some private scholarship organizations allow undocumented students to apply. There are even a few scholarships specifically meant for undocumented students. You can start by talking to your high school counselor and checking out the Scholarship Resources page on the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF) website, as they offer scholarships specifically for undocumented students. You can also look into local scholarships offered by community groups, such as the Kiwanis, that might be open to all students living in the local community.

State Aid

Some states offer financial aid to undocumented students and some don’t, so it will depend on where you live. The rules often change, so be sure to get the latest information. The Repository of Resources for Undocumented Students has information about policies in several states, as well as general resources for undocumented students.

Other ways to make college affordable as an undocumented student and save money on tuition is by earning college credit before starting college. Check with the colleges you’re considering to see if they award credit for qualifying scores on AP® or CLEP® exams or for successfully completing International Baccalaureate (IB) courses and earning qualifying scores on IB exams. Find out more about the AP Program and CLEP®.

Resources for paying for college as an undocumented student:

• The Dream.US.

• Golden Door Scholars

• Educators for Fair Consideration (E4FC)

• MALDEF Scholarship Resources

• Big Future’s guide for undocumented students

• Repository of Resources for Undocumented Students

• United We Dream's tools page

• Paying for College on ab540.com

• Edvisors Undocumented Info

• Questbridge

type: embedded-entry-inline id: 5CLPnfWQ00YK9yKJo796Yp