The official e-newsletter of The Equestrian College Advisor.

From the blog:

A few weeks ago, I met with a friend who works as the athletic director for an NCAA Division III college. I jokingly refer to him as my “brother from another mother” because we’ve always had the uncanny ability to hit on the same idea at the same time and this particular conversation was no different – especially when talk turned to things equestrian-related. Read More

A Guide to the CSS Profile

While the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is the most-used financial aid application in the United States and the one most families are familiar with, certain colleges and universities also require prospective students to submit the

CSS Profile

, a separate, more in-depth form administered by the College Board (the group in charge of the SAT).

The Profile differs from the FAFSA in certain specific ways; most notably, the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) generated by the Profile is based on the financial aid awarding methodology employed by a particular college or university. Thus, while the FAFSA-produced EFC is the same regardless of what school a student has applied to, the CSS Profile EFC will vary from school to school.

Other differences between the FAFSA and Profile are:

• The FAFSA may be submitted at no cost; the Profile charges for each school it is sent to.

• The FAFSA is not submitted until January 1 of the student’s senior year, whereas the Profile deadline is typically much earlier (as soon as October 1). Specific deadlines for the Profile will vary by institution.

• The FAFSA does not require home equity information and the Profile does (though not all schools use this data in their calculation).

• The FAFSA focuses on the custodial parent of the student applicant and does not require financial information from a parent who is non-custodial. Some schools who utilize the Profile require information from both the custodial and the non-custodial parent.

• The FAFSA will calculate down to a family contribution of zero; the Profile automatically assumes a minimum family/student contribution.

The colleges that require students to submit the CSS Profile are often among the more elite found in the United States and are also the ones who are most likely to meet a family’s financial need. (In fact, many of them have as much as twice the endowment funds of non-Profile schools.) 

The

best course of action

for a student who has applied to a CSS Profile school is to mark down the deadline and begin the paperwork as soon as possible (at least two weeks before the deadline). Have tax records and financial documents handy and don’t be afraid to reach out to the financial aid officers at your Profile schools for assistance if you are confused or have specific questions.

Money should be front and center when choosing a college or university -

and here's why.

A recent Georgetown University study found that the difference in lifetime wages between a college graduate and high school graduate is $1 million.

Steffen Peters, George Williams, Laura Graves, and Charlotte Bredahl-Baker - along with a host of other top equine professionals - will headline the fifth annual Robert Dover Horsemastership Week in Wellington in early January, 2016.The full event lineup is available from Dressage-News.com.

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