Because Coryn Mickleson, a U. Kansas junior, is paying for school by herself, it was important that she turned in her FAFSA form by the March 1 priority deadline. But as an aerospace engineering major, taking out loans is worth paying for her education, she said.

“I know I’m going to have debt when I graduate, but I’m getting a good degree that can pay it back in the end,” Mickelson said.

Almost two-thirds of students require some form of financial aid to attend college. Of those students, three-fourths rely on federal loans acquired through filling out the FAFSA, according to the Institute of Education Sciences.

“The FAFSA is a starting point for all federal financial aid,” said Jill Jess, spokeswoman for U. Kansas. “Many private lenders and scholarship and grant programs also use the FAFSA information.”

The priority application deadline for FAFSA has passed, but the final deadline for Kansas state aid isn’t until April 1. Federal aid isn’t due until June 30. Before filling out the FAFSA, students should acquire their tax returns and PIN, a number required to access your personal records, which can be retrieved at pin.ed.gov.

Caitlyn Perry, a KU senior, uses federal financial aid to help pay for her out-of-state tuition, which is two to three times as much as that of in-state tuition. Along with that federal aid, Perry said she relies on money from her parents to cover the costs of college. Regardless, Perry said the University was one of the most affordable out-of-state options she found.

“My parents haven’t said specifically that I’m expected to repay them, but it’s inferred,” Perry said.

Perry filed this past January as a dependent of her parents. She’s thankful for the FAFSA because without it, she wouldn’t have been able to go to school out of state.

“Without financial aid, you wouldn’t see 30,000 people going to KU,” Perry said.