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.

While the Free Application for Federal Student Aid FAFSA determines eligibility for federal financial aid, the CSS Profile is used by certain colleges to award non-federal, institutional aid.

Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. The CSS Profile is an application for college financial aid required by 300 colleges, universities and scholarship organizations.

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 an additional student aid application beyond the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) required at hundreds of private and public schools to be considered for ...