Students applying for financial aid this fall will have the option of using the newly released “FAFSA App,” available on both Apple (iOs) and Android devices. The full version will be available on October 1, 2018 to coincide with the release of the 2019-2020 FAFSA form. That’s mostly good news, but I’d also suggest using the app with appropriate caution.

The ability to fill out the FAFSA on a phone will likely increase the number of families who successfully complete the application, a statistic I hope will be especially notable for under-resourced students. You won’t get the financial aid you need to attend college if you don’t file the FAFSA, so anything that gets more students to apply is worth doing.

But much of how phones are used today is for distracted time-killing–scrolling, “liking” and “disliking,” consuming information while we wait for the bus or the restaurant table or the signal that our doctor is ready to see us—so, we need to make a mental switch when we use our phones for something important. If you complete your FAFSA on your phone, please make the switch. The app doesn’t change the fact that the FAFSA contains over 100 questions, which is even more than appear on your federal tax return. If you submit the form with incorrect information, you can correct it later. But that slows down the process, adds to your stress, and for some students, could make the difference between ultimately submitting an app and just throwing in the FAFSA towel.

Whether you complete the FAFSA on a desktop, a laptop, or the snazzy new app, please give the form the time and even more importantly the attention it deserves. There’s a reason you wouldn’t want to take the SAT in a loud room with the TV on and friends or family asking you questions while you crunched the numbers. Your FAFSA completion deserves the same quiet focus.

For some good insight and tips on how to best use the app, here’s a piece from The National College Access Network and another from the imitable Mark Kantrowitz.