What is the CSS Profile and how is it different from the FAFSA?

The CSS Profile is a separate, more detailed aid application used by about 200 mostly private colleges to award their own institutional grant money. Unlike the free FAFSA, it charges a fee (roughly $25 for the first school plus per-school fees, with waivers for lower-income families) and digs deeper into your finances. Critically, the CSS Profile often counts things the FAFSA ignores: home equity in your primary residence, small-business value, and sometimes a non-custodial parent's income after divorce. That means a family who qualifies for little federal aid might still get generous grants from a CSS school – or might be assessed as wealthier than the FAFSA suggests. If your student is applying to selective private schools, check each school's requirements early. The net price calculator on each college's website is your best preview of what they'll actually offer.