Many high school students are not aware that they may be eligible for college financial aid. The primary purpose of this book is to help high school guidance counselors advise students about financial aid for postsecondary education. The text is divided into three parts. Part 1 offers general information about postsecondary opportunities and explores sources of aid, general eligibility requirements for student aid, ways to demonstrate need, and tips on choosing a school carefully. Part 2 covers the application process for financial aid in detail. It addresses such concerns as the federal role in application processing, applying for aid, submitting an initial application, processing the application, reviewing the aid report, making changes to the aid application, and filing an application, and 1997-98 application deadlines. Part 3 gives step-by-step instructions for filling out the application for federal student aid. It offers insights on each section of the form, explaining such topics as education background, future plans, student status, household information, asset information, and releases and signatures. Special sections on getting disadvantaged students into college, sources of additional information, and a directory of state agencies responsible for administering student grants are provided at the back. (RJM)