Any student who believes that he or she may need assistance in meeting the cost of attending college should apply for financial aid.

A student's eligibility for financial aid is based upon a number of factors, including the size of your family, how many members of the family are in college, and, of course, family resources (income and assets).

Even though your family's circumstances may appear to be very similar to your neighbor's, there may be substantial differences in the components used to calculate financial aid eligibility.

One of the most common differences is meeting deadlines, which could significantly impact the amount of grant aid for which you may be eligible.

If you are not eligible for need-based financial aid, many options are still available. One is to look for merit-based scholarships based on academic or other talents. Additionally, you may consider borrowing through the unsubsidized loan program or having your parents borrow through the PLUS program. Also, most colleges have student employment opportunities that are not based on financial need.

If you believe you may need some assistance covering college costs, then yes, you should submit a FAFSA. The application is free and many campuses use it to assess your eligibility for some scholarships and non-need-based loans, including the unsubsidized and PLUS loans.

APPLY. The biggest mistake students make is not to apply because they don't think they'll qualify. To apply for federal, state and university financial aid programs, you need only complete the FAFSA and supply requested documents to the campus financial aid office.

Some private universities or colleges may require you to also submit a CSS PROFILE form. If you plan to attend a private institution please contact the financial aid office at that institution for more information. Some institutions may also request additional documents such as tax returns to complete your financial aid file so please respond immediately to all requests by the campus financial aid office.

No, you do not need to have completed your income tax return. While it is recommended that you complete your tax return prior to filling out your FAFSA, it is not essential. You can fill out the FAFSA using estimated information from your final year end pay stub(s); however, take care in estimating your figures. Any large discrepancies between your FAFSA and your tax return may have a large impact on any preliminary financial aid award you receive.

Do not wait to file your FAFSA. It is very important to file early and to meet deadlines to get the best funding. Use pay stubs, last year's income records, checking account records or whatever you and your parents have to make your very best estimate and get the FAFSA in the mail (or sent through the Web). If you use estimated information, your financial aid eligibility may be revised once you update your income information.

By completing the FAFSA and supplying any other required documents to the financial aid office, you are considered for federal grant, work and loan programs, as well as most state and private programs. You don't have to file separate applications for each program. Some programs may require additional paperwork. Be sure to complete all forms sent to you by the financial aid office.

If you haven't received a Student Aid Report within 5 weeks of filing your FAFSA, you can call the federal processor at 800-4-FED-AID. You will need to provide your Social Security number and date of birth as verification. You also can write to:

Application and Pell Processing Systems Division
U.S. Department of Education
600 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20202-5453

Many schools have short-term emergency loan programs to assist students with cash-flow problems. Check with the financial aid office to see what alternatives are available.

You need to apply for aid at the school where you plan to transfer.

You should keep a copy of all of the applications you file (the FAFSA and any scholarship or other applications), letters or notices you receive in response to the applications, and copies of all other documents you may submit to a financial aid office.