 TITLE: How Does Financial Aid Work for Divorced Parents? CONTENT: The CSS Profile: Adding Complexity\n----------------------------------\nIn addition to the FAFSA, nearly 250 colleges—many of them private colleges—also require the College Scholarship Service (CSS) Profile as part of their financial aid application process. The CSS Profile is more detailed than the FAFSA. Whereas the FAFSA looks primarily at your parent's income, the CSS Profile also considers business assets, home equity, student and sibling assets—the list is long. Your school may also require both parents to submit CSS Profiles. Parents will fill out their applications separately and privately, but they will both be considered as potential funding sources.\nProviding a CSS Profile for both your parents can make a difference in the way a school sees your financial aid eligibility. Especially if you have a custodial parent who would likely qualify for financial aid and a non-custodial parent who likely won't, your chances of receiving aid might be hindered at a college that requires the CSS Profile versus one that uses only the FAFSA.\nThis shouldn't necessarily discourage you from applying to a college that requires the CSS Profile. Colleges can use multiple sources of funding when they put financial aid packages together, and they may still come through with the aid you need. But it is helpful to understand this dynamic as you apply for—and ultimately choose—a college. The CSS Profile can create a different snapshot of your family's ability to pay than the FAFSA does, and that could make FAFSA-only schools a more affordable option for you. END