Does Santa Clara Require the CSS Profile?

Santa Clara requires the CSS Profile and FAFSA for need-based aid, while merit scholarship consideration needs only the Common Application. Applicants whose biological parents live apart also submit a Non-Custodial Parent Profile unless Santa Clara grants a waiver; requested documents appear in the admission portal.

CSS Profile

Required

Applicants eligible for federal student aid submit the FAFSA and CSS Profile for Santa Clara need-based aid. Merit scholarship consideration requires only the Common Application, while international applicants follow a separate financial-resource and proof-of-funds process.

CSS school code

4851

Santa Clara's CSS Profile code is 4851. Use that code to send the form to Santa Clara University.

Published financial aid deadlines

Early Decision I and Early ActionNovember 15

Early Decision IIJanuary 15

Regular DecisionFebruary 1

Fall or winter transferAt time of admission application

These are the school's currently published 2026–27 dates. A late or updated application cycle can use different dates, so confirm the deadline shown in your applicant portal.

Which parent files?

If biological parents do not live together, the noncustodial parent also completes the Non-Custodial Parent Profile. Santa Clara offers an NCP Profile Waiver Appeal when the form cannot be provided for reasons beyond unwillingness to contribute.

Documents and next steps

Use Santa Clara CSS code 4851 and FAFSA code 001326. Check the admission application portal for requested verification documents and upload them there. California residents should confirm that their high school submitted the Cal Grant GPA verification by March 2.

Official sources for this answer

Santa Clara 2026–27 aid application and parent instructions (checked September 25, 2026)
Santa Clara international student funding guidance (checked September 25, 2026)

Common questions

Does Santa Clara require the CSS Profile?

Yes. Santa Clara requires the CSS Profile and FAFSA for need-based aid, while merit scholarship consideration needs only the Common Application. Applicants whose biological parents live apart also submit a Non-Custodial Parent Profile unless Santa Clara grants a waiver; requested documents appear in the admission portal.

What is Santa Clara's CSS Profile code?

Santa Clara's CSS Profile code is 4851. Use that code to send the form to Santa Clara University.

When is Santa Clara's financial aid deadline?

Early Decision I and Early Action: November 15; Early Decision II: January 15; Regular Decision: February 1; Fall or winter transfer: At time of admission application.

Is the FAFSA enough for Santa Clara?

Not for Santa Clara's institutional aid. Eligible students should file the FAFSA for federal aid, but Santa Clara uses the CSS Profile separately to evaluate its own need-based funding.

Estimate the rest of your aid

The CSS Profile does not tell you what federal aid you may receive. Estimate that separately, then compare the result with each college's net price and your outside scholarship options.

FAFSA estimator Net price calculator Find scholarships Scholarships at Santa Clara Santa Clara SAT and ACT policy

Other colleges

Harvard Stanford NYU Princeton Boston University Yale Columbia Penn Duke Northwestern MIT Brown Cornell UChicago Vanderbilt USC Johns Hopkins Dartmouth Georgetown Carnegie Mellon Rice Emory Tufts Notre Dame WashU Boston College Northeastern Wake Forest Tulane Rochester Villanova George Washington Williams Pomona Lehigh Fordham Middlebury Wellesley Wesleyan Bowdoin Case Western Reserve Vassar Colgate Claremont McKenna Hamilton Barnard Kenyon Bates Smith Bryn Mawr Haverford Swarthmore Reed Syracuse Miami Amherst American Caltech Brandeis Babson Bucknell Davidson Colby Grinnell Macalester Denison Washington and Lee UVA Michigan William & Mary Richmond UCLA UC Berkeley Georgia Tech UT Austin University of Washington UNC-Chapel Hill University of Florida Purdue Ohio State University of Maryland Penn State UIUC Wisconsin–Madison Texas A&M Rutgers Michigan State IU Bloomington University of Georgia NC State Virginia Tech Arizona State University of Arizona University of Minnesota CU Boulder University of Oregon UConn UMass Amherst University of Pittsburgh Temple Stony Brook Clemson University of South Carolina Auburn University of Alabama UT Knoxville Florida State UCF USF FIU Florida Atlantic University of Kentucky LSU Ole Miss Mississippi State University of Arkansas University of Oklahoma Oklahoma State University of Kansas Kansas State Mizzou University of Iowa Iowa State Nebraska–Lincoln University of Denver Colorado State BYU University of Utah University of New Mexico UNLV Colorado College SMU TCU University of Houston Texas Tech Texas State UT Dallas UT San Antonio UT Arlington UNT UTEP UNC Charlotte East Carolina App State UNCW UNC Greensboro San Diego State Cal State Long Beach Cal State Fullerton San José State Cal Poly San Luis Obispo UC San Diego UC Irvine UC Davis UC Santa Barbara UC Santa Cruz Cal State Northridge Sacramento State Fresno State Cal Poly Pomona San Francisco State Cal State LA Cal State San Bernardino Cal State Dominguez Hills Cal State San Marcos Chico State Scripps Pitzer Dickinson Holy Cross Baylor RPI Drexel Chapman Marquette Skidmore Christendom Conn College WPI Occidental Cincinnati Delaware Gonzaga All schools