Thinking about going to college? Smart move. Worried about how you are going to pay for it? Well you’re not alone.

The good news is that there are tons of ways to get cash for college. It’s called financial aid and chances are - if you’re listening to this - then you’re looking for a little guidance.  Well you’ve come to the right place.

Now you may be wondering, “What am I supposed to be doing? Where do I start?” A good place to begin is with the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, a.k.a. the FASFA. Like the name says, it’s free. There’s no charge to apply. All it takes is a little of your time. You can even fill out your application online. It’s faster and easier than doing it on paper. Plus you get quicker results, and in this game - sooner is better. So, apply early. Like right about now.

FAFSA is run by the U.S. Department of Education and can help you get federal student aid like Pell Grants, student loans and college work study. Plus, most colleges and universities use FAFSA information when they award their scholarships and grants. The best way to get started is to go to the FAFSA Web site. You’ll find it at www.fafsa.ed.gov. You spell FAFSA – F-A-F-S-A. That’s www.fafsa.ed.gov.

Now you can find all this info in great detail on the Web site. But, I’ll go over some of the main points just to get you familiar with the friendly FAFSA.  There are a few things you need to do to get started.

Thing one: Gather your documents. One of the words in FAFSA is federal. That means government. And, that means doing things by the book. So you’ll need your Social Security number, driver’s license, income tax return, bank statements, and investment records.

Thing two: Print out a FAFSA on the Web worksheet…that way you can read and complete all the questions before you enter your information online. It’s kind of like warming up for the big event.

And thing three: Apply for your very own super secret personal identification number (PIN). Your PIN will be your electronic signature and let you access your personal information, make changes, and submit your FAFSA electronically. It’s a good idea to apply for your pin right now. Before you even begin to work on your FAFSA. You can get one in just about three days. That way you’ll be ready to go when the time comes.

So, that’s how you get started. The next step is just filling out the forms and sending them in. It’s going to take you a little time so get started ASAP. That means pronto. That means now!

And one little word of caution. There are plenty of people out there who want to fill out and submit your FAFSA or find you cash for college…all for a fee. Some are legitimate and some are complete scams. Remember, any help someone wants you to pay for can be found for free from your school or the U.S. Department of Education.

Still have FAFSA related questions? Well there are lots of places to get answers like the FAFSA Web site at www.fafsa.ed.gov. You can call and talk to a Cash for College expert, toll free at 1-866-443-7420. Learn more on the Web at www.cashforcollegeok.info.

Whichever way you do it, the main thing is to fill out that FAFSA and get it sent in. That way you can concentrate on the finer things in life.

Well, that about wraps it up for now. Hope you’ve learned a little something and good luck in your quest. Hope we see you on campus.