Check out this latest question we received through our Ask the Expert tool from Lynette, a concerned mother:

My daughter just received an application for a Stafford loan and they told her she would need to find the financial institution number and find her own lender. How do we go about that? She banks with Wells Fargo and would like to do the student loan with you.

A question like Lynette's is becoming more common these days. Many college and university Financial Aid Offices have moved away from recommending specific lenders, so often students and parents need to do the research on their own.

Once you've completed your FAFSA  (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) and decided on a lender, the actual application process can seem daunting — but it doesn't need to be. A good place to start is this step-by-step guide that outlines exactly what you need to do to choose Wells Fargo as your Federal Stafford Loan lender and begin the application process.

Here are the basics:

1. Let your school know that you want Wells Fargo to be your lender. You'll probably be asked to provide a lender code. Wells Fargo's lender code is 807176 (in all states except Utah, where our lender code is 813894).

2. Ask your school's Financial Aid Office if they have a preferred application process (some schools do).

3. Most likely, your school will tell you to apply online for a Wells Fargo loan.

4. If at any point in the process you need help, call our student loan center at 1-800-658-3567.

It's really pretty simple — and we're here for questions along the way!

BTW, whenever I see the Wells Fargo lender code, the classic 80s song "867-5309/Jenny"  by Tommy Tutone immediately pops into my head. Can't you hear it? "Eight-oh-seven-one-seven-siiiiiiix…"