The old saying that you won't receive what you don't ask for definitely applies to college financial aid. Nobody likes paperwork, but there's one critical financial aid form that unlocks access to more than $14 billion in nonfederal aid. Amy and Mike invited financial planner Brian Eyster to explain exactly what the CSS Profile is.

What are five things you will learn in this episode?

What is the CSS Profile, and how does it differ from the FAFSA?
Do all private universities require the CSS? How can I find out which colleges?
Which assets and which income(s) do you need to reveal or disregard?
How do you value your farm, business, and real estate, and how do you discount the values properly with documentation?
Are you able to amend the CSS after submission?

MEET OUR GUEST

Brian Eyster, CCFS®, ELA™, LIC, is the visionary founder of the G.R.A.D. Process™, a groundbreaking system created to help families navigate the challenge of paying for their children's college education without sacrificing their retirement goals.

Over his 27-year career, Brian has developed a profound understanding of the financial needs of families. His personal experiences with college planning for his own kids have shaped his approach to wealth management, risk mitigation, resource allocation, and college funding strategies.

As a highly sought-after speaker, Brian shares his knowledge on Creative Funding for College, Cash Flow Design, Income Planning, Risk Management, and Tax-Advantaged Strategies. Clients trust and respect Brian for his commitment to delivering exceptional service.

Brian lives in Metro Detroit with his wife, two kids, three cats, and enough guitar and softball equipment to last three generations.

Brian can be reached at https://essentialstrategies.net.

LINKS

CSS Profile

How to Complete the CSS Profile

Participating Institutions and Programs

FHFA House Price Index® Datasets

How Student Loans Secretly Sabotage Your Financial Future

College Planning With Brian Eyster

RELATED EPISODES

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE FAFSA AND CSS PROFILE

THE BETTER FAFSA FOR NEW AND PREVIOUS FILERS

WHAT DO FEDERAL POLICY CHANGES MEAN FOR FINANCIAL AID?

ABOUT THIS PODCAST

Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page.

ABOUT YOUR HOSTS

Mike Bergin is the president of Chariot Learning and founder of TestBright, Roots2Words, and College Eagle. Amy Seeley is the president of Seeley Test Pros and LEAP. If you're interested in working with Mike and/or Amy for test preparation, training, or consulting, get in touch through our contact page.

702. WHAT IS THE CSS PROFILE?