It's that time of the year when parents and students are growing tense about their planning process for paying for college. This article will concentrate on reviewing the steps need to be taken in the process of applying for aid for college.

Obviously, by now, each student should have a good idea as to which colleges he or she will be applying for admission. For financial aid purposes, I recommend a listing of no less than four (4) and hopefully as many as six (6) institutions. Each of these schools should be sending information and applications on admissions, financial aid and housing. If not, call now to inquire as to what forms and documentation are needed for each office, and in particular, the financial aid office. Be sure to meet all required deadlines for each office.

There are three major documents that will be used to apply for financial aid for the 1999-2000 academic school year.

• Some colleges require an institution-specific aid application. Check with each financial aid office to ask if this form is required. If it is required, this form normally has a deadline. If the student misses the deadline, he or she will most likely lose out on receiving the maximum aid.

• The second and most important document is the Free Application For Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). This document is required by all colleges and is the only form that can be used for distribution of federal aid. (Note: Over 75 percent of all aid received by students in the United States is generated from the federal government by using this document). In addition, the FAFSA document is used as the application to apply for State Scholarships.

It is recommended that the FAFSA be filed before February 15, to be sure of meeting institutional and filing deadlines. Normally, March 1st is the closing deadline for applying for new and renewal institution and state scholarships. The FAFSA cannot be submitted to the central processor prior to January 1, 1999.

• Unrelated to the FAFSA (and appropriate only to approximately 400+ of the mostly higher cost, more selective schools) is the College Scholarship Services (CSS) Profile Application (referred to as "the Profile"). To receive a Profile Application, the student must first register with the CSS. Registration can be accomplished by contacting the student's high school career counselor and filling out a registration form. Once the registration form is completed, the student can contact the CSS center by calling 1-800-778-6888 or by using the Web (http://www.collegeboard.com/profile.htm). Once the student has registered a Profile Application will be mailed to the home within seven to 10 working days. Colleges that use the Profile probably are looking for more expected family contribution from the parents. The Profile can be submitted to CSS as soon as possible. These forms may be filed anytime thereafter, as required by the student's college of choice.