Top5
By Stacey L. Bradford,
Associate Editor, SmartMoney.com


HAVE A CHILD HEADING off to college this fall? If so, you want to apply for financial aid now so you can make sure your family gets all the money it's entitled to. Happily, there's plenty of funding floating around. Last year students received $152 billion in grants, government loans and work-study programs, according to the College Board. Getting your hands on your share, however, isn't always easy. Understanding how the process works will help.

Here are our top five tips for getting the biggest slice possible of the financial aid pie.

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