The CSS Profile is an additional financial aid application required by some private colleges and universities, used alongside the FAFSA to award institutional aid.
Who needs it. Only students applying to schools that require it. Check each college’s financial aid page. Most Kansas public institutions do not.
It has a fee, unlike the FAFSA, though fee waivers are available for eligible families.
Timing. If a college on your list requires it, start it on the same schedule as the FAFSA, around October 1.
If no school on your list requires it, skip this entirely. There is no benefit to filing it speculatively.
Sources: College Board CSS Profile; verify current fees, waiver criteria, and participating institutions at the College Board directly.