It is time to apply for financial aid at American colleges and universities, and one of the first things we have to do is to un-learn several myths about the process regarding who is or isn’t eligible for aid. And I can think of no one better to lead this process than Michelle Singletary, author of the popular column “The Color of Money,” which appears in the Washington Post. I read her column religiously, and it’s worth it. Michelle also has a website with lots of financial advice that you can access here: michellesingletary.com

Her September 30, 2018 column was entitled “Debunking five big myths about getting financial aid for college,” and I’ll be offering you quotes from Michelle’s column to illustrate these myths and offering my commentary.

Myth #1

“Our family makes too much money, so why bother?”

Michelle goes on to state that the free form for federal student aid, or FAFSA. isn’t just for federal programs. Lots of state aid programs ask that you file the FAFSA as well. Even colleges and universities which offer merit aid want the FAFSA information on file to see if there are special programs that your student might qualify for that have little to do with financial need. And since filing the FAFSA is free, filing it should be a no-brainer.

Also, keep in mind that the federal financial aid formula takes into account the number of students in a family who are enrolled in the college at the same time. So when two students in a family are enrolled in college as opposed to just one, both students may find themselves eligible for aid, even when the single student wasn’t before.

Myth #2

“My credit history is bad, so we won’t quality for financial aid.”

This is an easy one, as Michelle acknowledges that there is no credit check for most federal student loans. And for those considering other loans for the last dollar to help their students attend college, the credit check may not disqualify you for other loans: it may just increase the interest rate.

Myth #3

“Are you kidding? My kid’s grades are awful, so why bother applying?”

Since federal student aid programs are based primarily on need, this is also a myth for the process. Sure, your student may not quality for merit aid—scholarship dollars offered by their college or university because of high grades—but they may still qualify for assistance based solely on financial need. You student may also qualify for all kinds of loans or a work study job on campus, also known as two forms of self-help aid. Singletary also quoted Mark Kantrowitz, publisher and vice president for savingforcollege.com, who noted that “everybody should file the FAFSA every year, even if they got nothing other than loans last year.” Sound advice.

Myth #4

“I don’t want my child to have loans, so why apply?”

Singletary has written on several occasions about parents and students exercising caution when taking out student loans. But the reality is many students still need to take out some loans while in college. Every family has to decide on the amount of student loan debt they’re comfortable with. Some will want none, others may decide that graduating with $20,000 in debt is okay, but $40,000 is too much. In any case, understand your tolerance for student debt as part of your family decision, but understand that loans may be required at some time throughout college.

Myth #5

“It’s just too much work.”

Specifically, completing the FAFSA is less complicated than people make it out to be, but it does take time and is tedious. Singletary certainly believes this is partly true. She also notes that the federal government has develop an app called MyStudentAid that will make it easier for students to complete their part of the FAFSA. She also points out that you can get assistance with your IRS data through the IRS Data retrieval Tool (DRT).

It’s also easy to find assistance for completing the FAFSA. Many colleges and universities, particularly community colleges hold workshops in local libraries to explain the financial aid process and may offer direct assistance to families completing the form, so check local activity listings in your area for this.

According to the College Board, about two thirds of American college students received some form of financial aid while in college: make sure your student claims their funds by applying!