[abowers]

Definitely do the FAFSA as soon as possible. See if you can apply for endowed scholarships at schools she is looking at. Look at outside scholarships around your town/online, etc. Look into what kinds of merit scholarships each of the prospective schools offers based on HS average and SAT/ACT scores.

Because you have 3 kids, you hopefully won't be expected to contribute too much. The FAFSA will determine an "EFC" or Expected Family Contribution for you. This is what the school, state, and goverment looks at to determine how "needy" you are for aid. Financial Aid doesn't always fill the gap between the EFC and the total cost to attend, especially with expensive schools (which is why it is so important to have the FAFSA in as soon as possible so that you can get optimal consideration).

A note on the EFC: the student's earnings and assets(cash, checking, savings, investments) are weighted MUCH more heavily than the parents. Something like 35% of the savings, and almost half of the income. So if you or a family member "gives" her money for college prior to filling out the FAFSA, you're better off keeping it until it's time to pay the bill. They don't touch too much of the parent's assets in determining the EFC.