"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 arduous, experts say.
‘It’s long, it’s detailed, and there’s a cost to it,’ says Andy Hoge, vice president of admissions and placement at New Jersey SEEDS, a nonprofit that prepares low-income students for admission to private colleges. But filling out the form, administered and maintained by the College Board, opens the door to nonfederal scholarships and other kinds of institutional aid that can make a big difference when it comes time to pay for college.
Aiming to paint a fuller picture of a family’s finances, the CSS Profile offers opportunities for families to describe any unique or extenuating circumstances affecting their ability to pay." …