Srihari Balaji, Freshman @ Union College
My name is Srihari and I have created a video tutorial based on my experience, to walk you through the Financial Aid form - CSS Profile, in detail.
This tutorial covers the following:
1. What is the CSS Profile?
US Colleges award Need-based Financial Aid. This is when colleges award you with financial aid based on your combined family income and asset levels (property and other tangible assets). Most colleges award a certain amount of aid to specific income brackets.
The CSS Profile, administered by the College Board, is the main instrument you need to get Need-based financial aid and something that you’ll need to fill out for every college. Through this CSS profile, colleges can estimate how much your family contribution will be.
In this section, the video below, will show you how to navigate through the CSS website and mention noteworthy items.
This section is about what the CSS profile of high school senior applies for looks like. I filled out my CSS profile, as an example.
The last section is about what the CSS profile of a college freshman year applying for sophomore year aid looks like. I talk about my CSS profile that I filled out as an example. I have highlighted the differences between the CSS profile for freshman year and sophomore year.
Here are a few handy notes for you as you fill out the CSS Profile. You’ll need to fill out for every college. It requires information like:
Through this CSS profile, colleges can estimate how much your family contribution will be.
Unfortunately, the CSS profile is not free. It costs $25 for the initial application and $16 per college. If this affords you financial difficulties, you can fill out the International Student Aid Application instead and send it directly to the college.
If you have any questions or comments, please reach out on the Alma Matters Forum.
All the Best in securing Financial Aid. Don’t wait. Apply now.
