Simply filling out the form (although necessary, of course) is not where the emphasis should be placed. Families should plan their finances for their filing year well in advance, if they want to take advantage of as much aid as possible. This is the message that schools and organizations should be getting out to parents of middle-schoolers.

Getting cash for college is an ambitious goal indeed. For low income students, applying for aid via the FAFSA alone may take care of college costs, but this is not always the case, especially for average to above average income families. Contrary to what you might think, these families are struggling too and need-based aid isn't always available. This time around, it's going to take more than just filling out the FAFSA to get aid. Families are going to have to start doing their research to find out if these schools are in good shape financially. See http://planofstudy.blogspot.com/2008/12/applying-for-financial-aid-case-of.html

People need to consider how much they can afford before to spend before they decide which colleges to apply for. The competition for aid will be fierce this year - already just 5 days into the financial aid season and we at Student Financial Aid Services are getting 40% more calls than last year for the same period. People should not wait until they file their income taxes because student aid is first come, first served. And the recession is battering every family's budget even those with upper middle class income who use to borrow from their home equity. Mary Fallon