To apply for federal financial aid, students must fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid or FAFSA. You can download the application at http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/. This form determines your eligibility for all types of federal aid including Pell Grants and Perkins, Stafford and Plus loans. Many states and schools also use the FAFSA to determine your eligibility for state and school-based aid.

Even if you don’t think you will qualify for need-based aid, consider filling out the FAFSA. It will let you take out an unsubsidized Stafford loan, which is available to all students regardless of their income or assets.

If you are attending a private college, you may be asked to also fill out the CSS/Financial Aid Profile, which asks questions not on the FAFSA. Some schools use this information to award aid from their own endowments and other sources. You can find the Profile, administered by the College Board, at https://profileonline.collegeboard.com/index.jsp.

Some top-tier schools send out their own applications that you also might need to complete.