According to Gallup and Sallie Mae, students can get federal money to cover college expenses. However, 25 percent of families don’t fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. “How America Pays for College.”

“Students and families miss out on free money when not filing a FAFSA,”Martha Holler is the spokeswoman of Sallie Mae. Sallie Mae is the nation’s largest saving-and-paying-for-college firm. “In this economy, why pay more for college than you have to? Let financial aid pick up some of your college tab.”

Students who complete their FAFSA early will be more likely to receive financial aid. It is possible for students to neglect to complete the form, which could hinder their ability to fund their education. FAFSA information is used by the federal government, the state governments, and higher educational institutions to grant financial aid. Some aid is awarded on a first-come-first-served basis.

Federal government is working to simplify FAFSA to make it more convenient for students and their families. The federal student aid application process has been simplified with the 2008 passage of the Higher Education Opportunity Act.

It takes only a few minutes for students and their parents to complete the online application. Just gather the required documents and information: Social Security number, alien registration card, driver’s license, Federal Income Tax Return, W-2 forms and bank statements. Before they can complete the online application. www.fafsa.ed.gov.

For federal student aid to be granted, students need to complete a FAFSA. A total of 14 million students fill out a FAFSA every year. Over 70% of them receive federal aid.

Other websites can help parents and students find financial aid. Sallie Mae’s award winning Web site CollegeAnswer.com offers free tools and information that will simplify the FAFSA application process. You can download a podcast of the FAFSA podcast to your MP3 player or computer.

CollegeAnswer.com offers the largest online database of scholarships, with more than 2.8 million scholarships valued at over $16 Billion. Visit www.CollegeAnswer.com/fafsaFor more information, please visit