Applying to college is an exercise in paperwork: recommendations, essays, the application itself, and the FAFSA — the form that determines whether your student is eligible for federal financial aid.

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Robert Farrington writes about higher education and student loans. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid is usually the ...

Non-federal financial aid, including the CSS Profile, helps US students cover college costs beyond federal aid like FAFSA. The CSS Profile, used by around 270 institutions, captures detailed financial ...

The CSS Profile is an application for college financial aid required by about 200 undergraduate institutions. Completing the CSS Profile, short for the College Scholarship Service Profile, can be ...

Completing the CSS profile can help you qualify for non-federal aid opportunities. This form, unlike the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) , is used by a limited number of colleges. It ...

The CSS Profile is used to determine eligibility for aid from a school. The form opens Oct. 1 each year, but deadlines to submit vary by college. Fee waivers are available for qualifying students. The ...

This financial aid form is the key to non-federal aid at some colleges Greg Daugherty has worked 25+ years as an editor and writer for major publications and websites. He is also the author of two ...