Tomorrow is the deadline for students to file financial aid forms for the 1990-91 school year.

Students who meet the deadline with all required supporting documents completed will receive priority in consideration for eligibility, said Cheryl Shaffer, assistant director of financial aid.

Shaffer said the NIU financial aid form with the proper supporting 1989 tax return must be filed by Thursday to guarantee timely processing of the application. The federal financial aid form must be mailed to Princeton, N.J. by Thursday, she said.

Shaffer said any applications returned after March 1 will be processed in the order in which they are received.

Shaffer said a number of government grants and loans are available to students who qualify. She said all required forms must be completed and filed by Thursday for anyone who wants to be considered and receive their award by the beginning of next semester.

Assistant Financial Aid Director Linda Dersch said students are recommended to make a copy of every form they turn in. She also said the financial aid office would date each copy for effective record keeping for both the student and the school.

Dersch said close to 10,000 financial aid applications are approved at NIU and as many as 13,000 NIU students receive some type of public or private financial assistance each year.

Dersch said last year more than $700,000 in private scholarships was awarded to NIU students .

Shaffer said financial aid grants and loans are almost entirely based on financial need, while private scholarships are based on criteria chosen by the donor.

Shaffer said students can apply for private scholarships at the financial aid office and deadlines on private scholarships vary.

Toni Kelly, a journalism student, said she has a scholarship from a small private corporation but it only pays for tuition. She said she applied for financial aid to cover housing expenses and other expenses she will have when the scholarship expires. Meeting deadlines for financial aid and scholarships is important even though it can be hard, she said.