Applying to college is an exercise in paperwork: recommendations, essays, the application itself, and the FAFSA — the form that determines whether your student is eligible for federal financial aid.

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Robert Farrington writes about higher education and student loans. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid is usually the ...

The CSS Profile, a detailed financial aid application by the College Board, is required by many U.S. universities to award institutional grants and scholarships. Because each institution sets its own ...