The CSS Profile just became required for incoming UW–Madison students seeking institutional aid. Here is what it is, what it costs, and exactly what to have ready, plus our own one-page asset guide, free to download.
For years, most Wisconsin students only ever filled out the FAFSA. That changed for the 2026–27 school year: UW–Madison now requires the CSS Profile from incoming freshmen and transfer students who want a share of its institutional financial aid. It comes on top of the FAFSA, not instead of it.
New, incoming undergraduates only. Students already enrolled do not need to file it again each year.
1846, UW–Madison's CSS Profile code.
December 1 is the recommended priority date, so aid is calculated in time for admission decisions.
Only UW–Madison's own institutional aid. It does not replace the FAFSA, which is still required for federal and state aid.
“There's no way a student's going to know that… whereas with the FAFSA now you really don't have to have a lot of stuff with you to be able to complete it anymore, with the CSS Profile, it's going to be a work session.”
This is exactly why we built the asset guide below, so that work session is shorter and nobody is caught without the right paperwork.
Most Wisconsin students will now file both. Here is how they differ.
| FAFSA | CSS Profile | |
|---|---|---|
| Used for | Federal aid, most state aid, and most public university aid | Institutional aid at the colleges that require it, mostly private colleges and now UW–Madison too |
| Cost | Always free | Free for most families; $25 for the first school if not, $16 for each additional school |
| Who files it | Every student seeking any federal aid | Only students applying to a school that requires it |
| What it asks | Income and basic assets, simplified in recent years | A deeper look at income, assets, and household finances |
| Opens | Around October 1 each year | October 1 each year |
Free if your family's adjusted gross income is under $100,000, if the student already qualified for an SAT fee waiver, or if the student is an orphan or ward of the court under 24. About 40% of families qualify.
$25 to send your CSS Profile to your first school, then $16 for each additional school you add.
The fee waiver is automatic once you enter your income. There is nothing extra to request or prove.
The CSS Profile asks about assets the FAFSA never touches: home equity, small business value, other real estate. We built a one-page reference so you know what to gather before you sit down, not while you are sitting down.
What assets are included, which items depend on school policy, and the common exclusions people get wrong. One page, free.
Download the asset guideThe free Student Loan Helpline covers FAFSA and CSS Profile questions too, not just loans already in repayment. Bring whatever is confusing you.
833-589-0750Financial aid rules keep changing. Our newsletter covers exactly this kind of thing, twice a month, free.
Get the newsletterWorking through everything at once? See the full before-college checklist.
New This year, financial aid applicants to the University of Wisconsin-Madison must complete the CSS Profile. We’ve prepared this one-page reference sheet to help you understand what assets need to be reported.
The guide covers:
What assets are included in the CSS Profile
Which items depend on school policy
Common exclusions and clarifications
Download the checklist to get started.
