apply for various college scholarships. but many don't know about their options. robert franick said do as much research as possible and start early. >> lots of students and families were making a mistake early on in their college research. it was crossing an expensive school off their list of consideration early on without following through and find out how much financial aid that school is actually giving out. >> reporter: olivia's mother was involved from the start. >> everything is very time sensitive, and the sooner the paperwork gets in, the money is divvied out on a first come, first served basis. you really have to be on top of your paperwork and taxes and have everything on n on time. >> you just ask every college specifically because even after asking the general questions, the specific requirements of one particular school differ greatly from another school. >> as april 1st draws closer, olivia and her mother are nervous and hopeful. >> reach for the sky. reach for the sky. >> i'm excited to be going to college. no matter where i go, i'm actually pretty happy about my