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For many Latino families living in the US, the financial aid system can feel confusing, even when language isn't the barrier. First-generation families in particular often don't know where to start. The good news: there's far more support available than most people expect, scholarships, merit aid, need-based aid, and other forms of help. This guide walks through the FAFSA, the CSS Profile, need-based aid, and merit aid.
Not sure where to start? We help Latino families map out FAFSA, CSS Profile, and scholarship deadlines so nothing gets missed.
Talk to an advisor →The Two Forms Every Family Should Know
There are two different forms families need to understand: the FAFSA and the CSS Profile.
FAFSA
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid decides whether a family qualifies for federal and state aid, including grants that don't need to be repaid and federal student loans. It's free to submit, and every family seeking aid should file it.
CSS Profile
Run by the College Board, this is usually where the larger grants come from. Many schools, public and private, use it to award their own institutional aid. It isn't required everywhere, but most schools with need-based aid require both forms.
Deadlines and Timing
Some aid is time sensitive, and families who apply first are often the ones who receive it. The FAFSA opens October 1st every year, and waiting to file can cost real money. The CSS Profile should be filed before the first college application goes out, so a family's financial information is fully processed by the time the student starts applying.
What Families Need to Apply
The FAFSA uses a family's tax information from two years earlier, so those documents should be ready by the time the form opens in the student's senior year. Both the student and a parent will need a StudentAid.gov account, and these should be created early since identity verification can take a few days.
If a parent doesn't have a Social Security number, that's not a problem. Many US citizen children have parents without one. A parent without an SSN can still complete their part of the FAFSA by selecting that option and going through an identity verification step instead. Parents with an ITIN, and DACA recipients with a work-authorization SSN, can complete the form as contributors. If the student is a US citizen or eligible noncitizen, they qualify for federal aid based on their own status, not their parents'.
If the student is undocumented, they can't file the FAFSA for federal aid, but that doesn't mean there's no path forward. Many states offer their own aid to undocumented students who meet certain requirements, and some colleges offer institutional aid through the CSS Profile. Families should always contact the university directly to ask what's available, rather than assuming the answer is no.
The Types of Aid
With the forms covered, the next step is understanding what kinds of aid are actually out there.
Financial need
Calculated from the FAFSA and, where required, the CSS Profile. The lower a family's ability to pay, the more need-based aid it may receive. At schools with generous aid budgets, this can cover most or all of the cost.
Student achievement
Awarded for grades, test scores, talents, or leadership, not tied to income. A strong SAT score in particular can unlock merit scholarships that many families overlook.
Families who are fully prepared treat these as two separate opportunities: they file for need-based aid and build a strong application to compete for merit aid at the same time, since most universities offer both.
- Need-aware schools can see a family's financial situation, and it may affect the admission decision.
- Need-blind schools don't consider a student's finances when deciding whether to admit them, and they tend to be among the most competitive and hardest to get into.
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Book a free strategy session →Getting Started
The financial aid system rewards families who start early. A lack of preparation is what leaves qualifying Latino families paying more than they need to, or ruling out schools they could actually afford with aid. Deadlines, rules, and processing can change year to year, so always confirm current requirements at studentaid.gov and cssprofile.collegeboard.org, and check each college's specific deadlines directly with the school.