Janice Lozano
The CSS Profile is used by colleges and universities in the United States to determine a student's eligibility for financial aid. The submission of the CSS Profile requires an application fee of $9 and a reporting fee of $16 for every university the applicant chooses to send their CSS Profile to. While College Board's CSS Profile Fee Waivers are offered to all eligible domestic students, they are not offered to international students. However, some universities may provide institutional CSS Profile fee waivers to international applicants. International students who are unable to pay the fees can contact the colleges they are applying to and inquire about submitting an ISFAA form instead of the CSS profile.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| College Board's CSS Profile Fee Waiver | Not for international students |
| Institutional CSS Profile Fee Waiver | Offered by some universities to international applicants, but not widely |
| ISFAA form | May be accepted by some colleges in lieu of the CSS profile |
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What You'll Learn
College Board's Automatic CSS Profile Fee Waiver
The College Board offers an Automatic CSS Profile Fee Waiver for students who meet at least one of three eligibility criteria. This waiver covers both the application fee and the reporting fee, allowing students to submit their CSS Profile for free to as many colleges as they like.
The first eligibility criterion is 'belonging to a family making less than $100,000 a year'. If you meet this criterion, you don't need to apply separately for the CSS Profile Fee Waiver. As you fill out your CSS Profile and answer the questions related to income and assets, you will automatically find out if you're eligible for the waiver on the payments page.
The second criterion is 'qualifying for the SAT Fee waiver'. If you meet this criterion, you can submit your CSS profile for free by logging in and filling out the CSS Profile using the same College Board account you used for registering and taking the SAT.
The third criterion is 'being an orphan or ward of the court'. If you meet this criterion, you will automatically receive the fee waiver based on your responses in the CSS Profile.
It is important to note that these eligibility criteria are specific to US citizens living in the US or US territories. The College Board's Automatic CSS Profile Fee Waiver is only applicable to domestic undergraduate students who are US citizens or permanent residents. International students are not eligible for this particular waiver, but they may be eligible for institutional CSS Profile fee waivers offered by certain universities.
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Institutional CSS Profile Fee Waiver
The CSS Profile gives students access to institutional aid from hundreds of schools. However, it is not free to complete, and there is an application fee. Fortunately, students can qualify for a CSS Profile fee waiver, which will save them money in the college application process.
There are two types of CSS Profile fee waivers: College Board's Automatic CSS Profile Fee Waiver and the Institutional CSS Profile Fee Waiver. The first type of CSS Profile Fee Waiver is the College Board's own fee waiver, where if you meet one of the three eligibility criteria, the College Board will waive the application fee and the reporting fee for all of the colleges you want to apply to. The eligibility criteria are as follows:
- Belonging to a family making less than $100,000 a year
- Qualifying for an SAT fee waiver
- Being an orphan or ward of the court under the age of 24
The second type of CSS Profile fee waiver is the Institutional CSS Profile Fee Waiver. This type of fee waiver is specific to the institution that grants it. If a university grants you this fee waiver, it can only be used to submit the CSS Profile to that university and not any other institution. For example, if Yale University offers an institutional fee waiver, the waiver can only be used to submit a CSS Profile to Yale University. Additionally, this fee waiver can only be used once.
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Common App Fee Waiver
The Common App Fee Waiver is a feature that ensures application fees do not prevent students from applying. If you meet certain criteria, you can request a Common App fee waiver.
To be eligible for the Common App Fee Waiver, you must meet one or more of the following criteria:
- You are enrolled in or eligible to participate in the federal free or reduced-price lunch program (FRLP).
- You have received or are eligible to receive an SAT or ACT fee waiver.
- Your family's income falls within the income eligibility guidelines set by the USDA Food and Nutrition Service.
- Your family receives public assistance.
- You are enrolled in a federal, state, or local program that aids students from low-income families (e.g., GEAR UP, TRIO, Upward Bound, etc.).
International students may be eligible for a Common App fee waiver, but it is not guaranteed. Each college has different policies regarding fee waivers for international students. If your fee waiver is not accepted, the college may ask you to pay the application fee after you submit your application.
It is important to note that the Common App fee waiver process is separate from the CSS Profile fee waiver process. The CSS Profile fee waiver is offered by the College Board and covers both the application fee and the reporting fee, allowing students to submit their CSS Profile for free. However, the College Board's CSS Profile Fee Waiver is not available to international students. On the other hand, institutional CSS Profile fee waivers are offered by some universities to international applicants, but they are not as widely available as domestic students.
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Noncustodial Profile Waiver Request
The College Board's CSS Profile is a financial aid application that is used by colleges to award non-federal financial aid to students. The application has a fee of $9, plus a reporting fee of $16 for every college that the student chooses to send their application to.
The College Board offers automatic CSS Profile fee waivers to US citizens of low-income backgrounds for up to eight schools. However, there are no fee waivers for international students.
Some universities do offer CSS Profile fee waivers to international applicants, but most top American universities do not.
Students who are unable to provide parental information may submit the Noncustodial Profile Waiver Request form through the College Board's secure IDOC platform. This form can also be used by students whose parents are separated or divorced and are unable to submit financial information from their non-custodial parent.
The Noncustodial Profile Waiver Request form should be submitted along with the rest of the financial aid application. The form will remain in the financial aid requirements checklist as a required document until the waiver request is reviewed. Waivers are reviewed after a student has been admitted to the university.
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ISFAA form
The ISFAA (International Student Financial Aid Application) is a form tailored to international students applying for financial aid at colleges and universities in the United States. The form is designed to gather information about an applicant's financial background to determine their eligibility for financial aid.
The ISFAA is a paper application that is specific to each institution. It can be downloaded for free from the website of the institution you are applying to. While there is no fee to submit the ISFAA, it is important to note that not all international students will receive financial assistance based on their ISFAA form.
To complete the ISFAA, you will need to provide financial information about yourself and your parents or guardians, including tax returns, income records, records of assets, bank statements, and records of savings and bonds. You will also need to include passport and visa information.
Once you have completed and signed the form, you can mail it to the school or upload it to their student admissions portal. Be sure to review the submission instructions for each school and submit your form before the deadline, as these can vary. After submitting your form, you may want to follow up with the school's financial aid office to confirm they have received it.
It is important to note that the ISFAA is not the same as the CSS Profile. The CSS Profile is a fee waiver for the College Scholarship Service Profile, which is used to apply for financial aid. While the CSS Profile is available to both domestic and international students, the fee waiver is typically only offered to eligible domestic students. However, some universities may offer institutional CSS Profile fee waivers to international applicants.
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Frequently asked questions
The CSS Profile application fee is $9, plus a reporting fee of $16 for every university you apply to.
No, the College Board does not provide CSS Profile fee waivers for international students.
Some universities do offer CSS Profile fee waivers for international students, but most top American universities do not. You will need to contact each university to find out.
If a university does not offer a CSS Profile fee waiver, you can contact their Financial Aid Office for International Students and ask if they will accept an ISFAA form instead.
