Colleges and universities that use the CSS Profile to assess eligibility for financial aid are often overlooked by families because they think the schools are too selective, too expensive and too stingy with aid.

Unfortunately, many college-bound students and their families are avoiding these Ivies, small Ivies, public Ivies and an assortment of small, private colleges to their own detriment. Yes, many have sticker prices in the high five figures and many are selective, but that paints an incomplete picture. Let’s take a closer look at some of the myths surrounding CSS Profile schools.

First, what is the CSS Profile?

The CSS Profile, or College Scholarship Service Profile, is an online application that students can use to apply for non-federal financial aid from colleges and scholarship programs. The College Board creates and maintains the application and it’s required at many CSS Profile schools to be considered for financial aid.

The CSS Profile is more detailed than the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and allows institutions to ask more specific financial questions. For example, the FAFSA excludes home equity as a factor in federal financial aid, but the CSS Profile includes it.

CSS Profile myths

Many college families believe that their child, with a 3.5 GPA and an average SAT score, won’t have a chance at a selective CSS Profile school.

Another persistent myth among middle-income families is that the schools in this category are way too expensive. This certainly appears true when you check out sticker prices averaging about $70,000 a year, with some approaching $100,000 a year,

Families that have done some homework on their college planning point out that CSS Profile schools assess their home equity to determine what they pay for college, and that the $300,000 equity in their home will blow a hole in their budget.

The most prevalent myth, however, is that any family with a six-figure income won’t get any aid — especially because these colleges don’t give out much merit aid.

Now we’ll look at these myths one by one.

“My kid will never get accepted because of their low admittance rates.”

Yes, all of the private, public and small Ivies are as a rule very selective. But about one-third of the participating institutions accept 40% or more of their applications, and a few have acceptance rates as high as 90%.

“These colleges are way too expensive.”

This is not true for most middle-income families because many of these schools fill 100% of the gap between their Student Aid Index (SAI) calculation and the Cost of Attendance (COA), with majority of that aid in the form of gift aid that doesn’t have to be paid back. And many of the schools that don’t fill the gap do provide generous merit scholarships.

Families that benefit include those that will have more than one student in college at the same time during some of their college years. In those overlapping years, even families with incomes over $200,000 a year will typically not pay much more at a school with a list price of $70,000 than they would at their own in-state university. What’s more, the FAFSA updates for the 2024-25 year no longer provide families a break when they have two or more kids in school at the same time.

“They will assess my home equity.”

While this is true of many CSS Profile schools, it is not true of all of them. Neither Stanford, nor Harvard, nor the University of Chicago, for example, consider home equity when working up an award letter. Furthermore, some colleges have lower assessment rates, while still others put a cap on it.

Bottom line: Many middle-income families will actually reduce their costs at colleges that use the CSS Profile.

More colleges are choosing to use the CSS Profile

Another reason to not overlook CSS Profile schools is that more institutions are adopting it. Thirteen colleges were added to the CSS Profile’s participating institutions list this year. Though two of these schools (Arkansas State and Arizona State) say on their websites that submitting the CSS Profile is optional and/or only required for domestic non-citizens, the others either require or strongly encourage families submit it to determine their eligibility for additional need-based financial aid.

Take time to do your homework and get an accurate estimate on your actual college expenses beforehand. Don’t skip over the more than 250 colleges on the CSS Profile List. The extra work, and often uncomfortable additional financial detail required, may be well worth the investment of time and effort. 


Chandani Rao is COO of My College Planning Team, which offers free college planning educational workshops hosted by high schools and libraries across the country. Free 30-minute college planning sessions are also available to parents interested in reducing college costs at a best fit-college for their child. For information and some great free resources, visit www.mycollegeplanningteam.com.

As students prepare for the college planning journey, counselors play an integral role in helping to plan the academic focus and assisting with the application process. Social-emotional learning (SEL), the process of developing the self-awareness, self-control and interpersonal skills thatare vital for success in college, is no less important.

SEL, which evolves inside and outside the classroom, provides exceptional support for students. Social-emotional learning and belonging have taken a front-row seat to how teachers and counselors create and sustain healthy and inclusive learning environments.

As with academics, counselors must be mindful of the importance of empowering their students to be their best while expecting the best. 

There are many books and courses to teach counselors how to best support their students’ social and emotional needs in a post-pandemic world, but the best learning comes from counselors sharing their best practices and experiences.

Here are the key components of SEL.

Self-awareness: We want students to feel valued and included throughout the process of college planning. The decisions that are made impact their identity and the way they view the world around them. Their involvement in these decisions is critical.

Self-management:  Self-management is more than just keeping to a schedule. It is a part of how we learn to balance and how to prioritize. Organization is necessary in every aspect of life. Students can best learn to self-manage throughout the college planning process by establishing goals, setting priorities, and practicing the art of collaboration. Students should not feel as though they are on an island. They should feel the support of those who want the best for them.

Accountability: It is great when students can self-manage, but it is also great to have accountability to reinforce this concept. Giving support is more than just cheering from the sidelines. It is also the duty of checking in to ensure that students have goals and that they know which is the most important at any given time.

Social awareness and relationship skills are key! Here are the 3 E’s – things counselors can do to accelerate SEL.

·        Encourage students to build upon the idea of community and camaraderie. Challenge them to explore opportunities that will enhance their perspective of themselves and the world around them.

·        Explore social clubs and organizations prospective schools may offer. As counselors, we tend to encourage our students to build their academic portfolio and their resume so they become stand-out students. This should not be just a “live for the moment skill,” but one that transfers into the next phase of their journey.

·        Empower them to look for ways they can shine act on the ones that they feel will allow them to be the best they can be.

Choosing the best-fit college can be challenging and overwhelming, but who said that adolescents can’t make responsible decisions? In many cases, adolescents have a unique sense of freedom in their thoughts. They are not confined to thinking in the box. While this may cause nail-biting moments at times, it is not always a negative.

Students should be empowered to challenge themselves in a way that their selection is based on the school that will provide them with the most opportunities and support possible based on several factors:

Academic: This is one of the most important aspects of the college life! Which colleges under consideration offer the majors and minors that the student plans to pursue?

Financial: Unfortunately, this can be the most stressful aspect. The variation of costs and factors is so vast that its important for counselors to provide the most up-to-date information to both students and families. It is also important to remember that students’ lives differ and so does the level of support needed for them to have a smooth start to college.

Social: Big campus or small school? Urban, suburban or rural? What are the clubs, athletics and student leadership opportunities that appeal to the student?

Career placement and support: Internships, resume building and interviewing skill development provide a seamless transition for students as they move from college into the real world.

The student who has had the opportunity to develop self-awareness, self-management and accountability will be able to take the counselors’ due diligence and advice and make the best decisions for themselves.

Sylvia Cason, www.MyCollegePlanningTeam.com, is a dedicated and experienced professional within the field of education. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Trinity University, Washington.  Since that time, she has obtained three Master’s degrees in Counseling (Trinity University) , Educational Leadership (St. Thomas University) & Curriculum & Instruction: Trauma and Resilience (Concordia University).  In addition to this, she is a licensed School Counselor and Administrator.  Sylvia is excited to be part of My College Planning Team because it allows her to pursue the work that she is passionate about, which is helping students reach their goals.