What is CCS? Is it like FASFA? And can it be used for out of state?
It’s a form that is different and more in-depth than the FAFSA form. It is used to collect the data that colleges require in order to determine a student’s financial aid package. I’m not sure what you mean with your last question, though. Both forms are informational for colleges – they are not entities that give out money. You don’t get financial aid from FAFSA or CSS; you fill out the forms as required by the schools, and you are awarded federal funds and funds from the college as appropriate.
As far as needing these forms, you need to look at the requirements for each school to which you’d like to apply. Some ask for FAFSA, some ask for CSS, and some want both.
You have applied to a lot of OOS public schools. The CSS profile will not be required by them
The only schools that need CSS Profile seemed to be OOS for me. I filled out all the CSS profile and it’s very similar to the FAFSA in that it requires a ton of financial information. But, it’s different in that it is harder to find the info they want (the FAFSA provides line numbers and what not) and is much more in-depth.