It’s that time of year again, but before you roll your eyes, remember college is expensive. Financial aid can save you some tears after graduation when you realize you really are in debt. The FAFSA 2018-2019 application was made available as of October 1. FAFSA stands for Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Who doesn’t want free money from the government? You can apply online at https://fafsa.ed.gov.

Remember the awards are first come, first served based so even though you want to put it off, it isn’t the best idea. You can submit your application online until midnight June 30, 2019, but again awards are only offered until funding runs out, so get on it! It isn’t exactly fun to go through and input all of the information, but you will for sure be glad you did. The sooner you do it, the sooner you will be relieved of the stress that comes with it. Everyone needs a little help sometimes and especially with the financial aspects of life.

I dropped the ball on my FAFSA 2017-2018 application, which resulted in long phone calls and slammed laptops. But a fate similar to mine can be avoided if you are accurate and timely. Along the way I have learned some tips and tricks that might help you with the dreaded process.

1. Procrastination is not your friend.

I know you’ve done it too, put an assignment off until the morning it’s due, and maybe you still did well, but FAFSA doesn’t give a grade it gives money. You don’t want some hundred shmos to beat you to it until the funding runs out.

2. Get your stuff in order.

Gather up all of the documents you will need before sitting down in front of your computer. Tax reports are a drag to look through, but all you have to do is input the info, and double check.

3. Double, triple, quadruple check your information!

Seriously double check your work, I cannot stress that enough. My mom texted me everyday of the semester, until last week, that she was still figuring it out.

4. Believe to achieve.

Nobody wants to do their FAFSA, but you can do it, and you should, soon, so you can save yourself from some of the headache.

If you get that “additional information required” email later down the road don’t panic. You can always make corrections to your FAFSA but let me just tell you that is even more frustrating than filling out the initial application. You are in control of your fate here, so before you get hot and bothered about filling it out think of the potential consequences in waiting. Now if you have an awesome mom like me she won’t make you feel like an idiot for procrastinating, but if not you are probably on your own with this one.

Just think about your future and how expensive school is and maybe you will find your motivation to get it done. There are so many things you can do in this world [expensive things] and maybe one day you’ll thank yourself, or your parents will thank you for saving some cash. We’re here to accomplish our goals and challenge ourselves and even learn a little bit about adulting. So take the leap and get ahead of the game with this one.

You can never get enough free money, especially when it comes to paying for college. Check http://www.niu.edu/financial-aid/ for potential scholarships. There is always some way to alleviate some of the financial stress of furthering your education. Heck if all else fails google it, there is always someone looking to lend a hand.