What is the CSS Profile in relation to scholarships?

I've heard about something called the CSS Profile in relation to college scholarships. What does it stand for, and how is it used in the scholarship application process? Should I be concerned about completing it?

The CSS Profile, formally known as the College Scholarship Service Profile, is a financial aid application run by the College Board that allows students to apply for non-federal financial aid. This aid is generally offered directly from the colleges and universities themselves. It is much more detailed than the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) that you may have also heard of, and it is used by nearly 400 colleges, universities, and scholarship programs to award non-federal student aid.

Unlike the FAFSA which looks at a family's financial situation through a federal lens, the CSS Profile allows each college to customize their own requirements within the profile, using it to determine a student's eligibility for their own institutional aid. That means the CSS Profile can consider factors like family home value or medical expenses, which often aren't covered by federal aid calculations.

That being said, the CSS Profile also comes with a fee. It costs $25 for the first school you send it to, and $16 for each additional school. However, fee waivers are available for first-year undergraduate applicants from low-income families.

You should definitely be concerned about completing the CSS Profile if you're applying to any schools that require it for institutional aid. It's an important part of ensuring you have the best financial aid package possible. Just make sure to start early because it does require thorough financial information and it can be time-consuming to complete.