By Jessie Gorges, editor

Some students wince at the very sight of the notorious acronym FAFSA. To stay stress-free this time of year, they should complete their Free Application For Student Aid as soon as possible to avoid any mishaps.

FAFSA deadline

With little over a month to go before reaching the FAFSA deadline, students will have to act quickly. While the actual deadline is April 1, the priority deadline for the Kansas comprehensive grant is March 15. The Kansas comprehensive grant is worth up to $3,250, but Brandon Pierce, director of financial aid, said students don’t worry about making the priority deadline because they think they don’t qualify.

“(I knew students) with a household income of $200,000, and they received the Kansas comprehensive grant,” Pierce said. “The biggest mistake I see is students not making the deadline.”

Some students try to wait until they file their taxes before filling out the FAFSA, he said.

“You can complete the FAFSA without filing and base it off of last year’s estimates,” Pierce said.

Students can make adjustments to FAFSA later, while still making the deadlines.

Students can pick up FAFSA forms in the Friends University financial aid office on the second floor of the Davis Administration Building or find it online at www.fafsa.gov.

Tony Lubbers, with the financial aid office, said students need to make sure that the social security number and the birth date match up with the name. Otherwise, students will have to re-submit their FAFSA and may have to provide a social security card or other identification.

“It could delay processing,” he said. “It’s possible that the funding could be gone by then.”

Pierce said students should come to the financial aid office if they need help filling out the form.

Dealing with student loans

In addition to grants, students are applying for the Perkins loan and the Stafford loan when they fill out their FAFSA. The Stafford loan is need based and offers both government funding that takes care of the interest rates while still in school and unsubsidized loans. The unsubsidized or graduate Stafford loan rate is at 6.8 percent. The Perkins loan is at 5 percent interest and is subsidized.

While Pierce encourages students to take advantage of these loans, he discourages private loans.

“Only as a last resort,” he said. “The interest rates are based off of your credit score and they’re not government backed.”

Pierce also encourages students to make loan payments while in school if they can afford it.

“It will only help you down the road.”

Getting outside scholarships

If students do not qualify for federal loans or grants, Pierce suggests looking for outside scholarships.

“Every time I hear about an outside scholarship, I try to find students who I think will qualify,” he said.

Lubbers said a student need not have an outstanding GPA to be considered for these types of scholarships.

“A lot of students can get scholarships through their parent’s employer,” he said. “A lot of those don’t have GPA requirements.”

Students can go to www.fastweb.com to find outside scholarships. Pierce said students should be wary of sham scholarships. If the program asks for a lot of money upfront, it’s likely fraudulent, although some scholarships programs ask for an application fee, which is usually around $10, Pierce said.

Figuring out how to pay for school can be hectic, but students should check in with the financial aid office to make sure they are filling out their FAFSA forms correctly, knowledgeable of the debt they are accumulating while in school and aware of outside scholarships.