Does Wake Forest Require the CSS Profile?

Wake Forest requires the CSS Profile for its need-based scholarship funds and uses CSS code 5885. Federal-only applicants can skip the Profile and IDOC steps after telling the aid office that they want only federal aid.

CSS Profile

Required

Applicants seeking Wake Forest need-based scholarship funds submit the CSS Profile and IDOC records. Eligible domestic applicants also file the FAFSA; students seeking only federal aid can omit the Profile after notifying the aid office.

CSS school code

5885

Wake Forest's CSS Profile code is 5885. Use that code to send the form to Wake Forest University.

Financial aid deadline status

Early Decision I and Early ActionDecember 1, 2026

Early Decision II and Regular DecisionJanuary 1, 2027

Wake Forest's 2027–28 general aid calendar publishes first-year priority dates. Its separate first-year and transfer checklist still shows the prior cycle, so confirm transfer dates with the aid office before filing.

Which parent files?

When parents are separated or divorced, Wake Forest requires each parent to complete a separate CSS Profile. If either parent has remarried, the applicable stepparent's income, assets, and household information must also be included.

Documents and next steps

Use Wake Forest CSS code 5885. The school asks for prior-prior-year tax documents through CSS IDOC; for 2027–28, that is the 2025 tax year. Follow the current IDOC request for the exact student, parent, and stepparent records instead of the older checklist's 2024 document list.

Official sources for this answer

Wake Forest 2027–28 aid application overview (checked September 25, 2026)
Wake Forest first-year and transfer aid instructions for the prior cycle (checked September 25, 2026)

Common questions

Does Wake Forest require the CSS Profile?

Yes. Wake Forest requires the CSS Profile for its need-based scholarship funds and uses CSS code 5885. Federal-only applicants can skip the Profile and IDOC steps after telling the aid office that they want only federal aid.

What is Wake Forest's CSS Profile code?

Wake Forest's CSS Profile code is 5885. Use that code to send the form to Wake Forest University.

When is Wake Forest's financial aid deadline?

Early Decision I and Early Action: December 1, 2026; Early Decision II and Regular Decision: January 1, 2027.

Is the FAFSA enough for Wake Forest?

Not for Wake Forest's institutional aid. Eligible students should file the FAFSA for federal aid, but Wake Forest 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 Wake Forest SAT and ACT policy

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