"Students must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to be eligible for federal government financial aid programs, and many state programs as well. Most private colleges require the CSS PROFILE form in addition to the FAFSA. The CSS PROFILE application is a service provided by the College Board. It asks for additional information not reported in the FAFSA, including where your siblings go to school, and the value of various assets your parents own. Colleges use information from both the FAFSA and CSS PROFILE to estimate your financial need and award financial aid."


From the Questbridge site.

The FAFSA is specifically for Federal financial aid. The CSS Profile is generally used by private institutions to determine how much of their own money they should allocate for an individual student.

You should generally fill out both since there are certain schools that will want the CSS Profile for more detailed individual school aid.


https://profileonline.collegeboard.com/index.jsp- that's the site