FAFSA is a form that stands for Free Application for Federal Student Aid. One must be filled out in order to receive financial aid for college.

Counselor Douglas Klemm says if you want any assistance in paying for your college tuition, this is the way to do it.

“College is a pretty expensive thing to do, but I can’t think of a better investment in oneself,” Klemm said. “You wanna try to minimize your costs in any way that you can and still be able to accomplish the goal. Part of that process is gonna be to file a FAFSA and to see what you qualify for. It’s a beginning point.”

Nearly all colleges use the FAFSA as the basis for financial aid. It must be completed annually and can be electronically submitted by March 1. An Expected Family Contribution number (EFC) will tell families how much they’re expected to pay.

There are many types of scholarships to apply for. To get more information on scholarships, there is a drawer in Student Services that contains applications for a wide range of scholarships.

Klemm also advises students to use websites like scholarships.com or fastweb.com to find scholarhips. You register and plug in information, based on which you will get information on scholarships you could qualify for.

“There’s lots of things out there,” Klemm said. “But if you’re not going to look for them, you’re not going to find them. We certainly encourage you to be that aggressive searcher, or that maniac with a mission.”

For help on how to fill out a FAFSA, schedule an appointment with your counselor or go to https://studentaid.ed.gov/fafsa/filling-out