Imagine your a senior, yeah you finally made it. You have to think about adulthood, colleges and keeping your grades up to keep that senioritis in check and now you have to fill out your FAFSA. Here’s how to do it.

FAFSA or the Free Application for Federal Student Aid is a great way to get financial aid and an important stop on the road to college.

Applications for FAFSA open October 1st every year. It is recommended that you fill out the application as soon as possible as timing is taken into consideration for financial aid.

The FAFSA site will give you a number at the end which is your family’s expected contribution. The rest of the price should be covered by grants, scholarships, and loans.

The application can seem long and daunting at first. You will need a few things to make the process quick and easy.

1. Your parent (that’s a given)
2. Your parents taxes for 2016 (most you can access online)
3. Your driver’s license or permit
4. An email address you use or check frequently
5. List of schools you want to apply to (up to ten)
6. The information sheet Ms. Poag gives to seniors (this is optional but it definitely helps)

Be sure before you submit any personal information you are on the correct FAFSA site. It will end in .gov and won’t ask for your credit card number. Also be sure to save frequently, the FAFSA site can crash and if you don’t save you may have to start over.

Prepare for the application to take around thirty to forty five minutes. Don’t think that if you are middle class or even upper middle class you won’t get aid. The application is free and a lot of colleges require it for any scholarships so apply today seniors.