According to the American Council on Education, more than 1 million community college students failed to receive financial aid for which they were likely eligible. This is a startling statistic. Given that financial aid is such a critical determinant of college-going and that academic counselors are among students' most important advocates, discussing financial aid with students is essential. In many instances academic counselors avoid this topic, preferring instead to refer their students to the experts in the financial aid office. It's understandable. With so much on their desks already, the last thing they need is to try and decipher America's financial aid process, which only seems to get more complicated every year. But such a practice is a perilous one for students. The financing choices that students make have inevitable consequences for their academic success. So much, in fact, that the American Council on Education recommends that colleges and universities "forge stronger links between academic and financial advising." This article discusses why community college transfer students do not apply for financial aid. The author presents a short tutorial to help counselors connect their students to the financial aid resources they need to earn an undergraduate degree. (Contains 2 footnotes.)