In this multi-part personal finance series, readers will learn various ways to help save money for a college education, from off-the wall-scholarships and 529 programs to the right time to refinance your loans. Parents and students alike who read this series will find something to help reduce the costs of a higher education before, during and after it takes place.

Part IV: Financial Aid

Last year, 1.8 million low- to moderate-income families missed out on help from the government because they did not fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA for short, which is needed to qualify for any federal, state and some institutional financial aid awards, according to the American Council on Education. In addition, the Council estimated that 1.5 million families missed out on the Pell Grant, an award of $4,310 that does not have to be paid back, just because they failed to file the proper paperwork.

If I told you the government would give you $4,310 if you simply filled out a form, you'd do it in a heartbeat right?

MOST NOTEWORTHY: Lockheed Martin (LMT), CastlePoint Holdings, Ltd (CPHL) and OraSure Technologies, Inc (OSUR) were today's notable upgrades:

• Matrix USA started Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) with a Strong Buy rating, believing steady demand from defense spending and communications systems is allowing the company to continue to build impressive fundamental trends.

• Piper believes CastlePoint'sHoldings Ltd (NASDAQ: CPHL) relationship with Tower Group allows it immediate access to a high quality book of business, strong relationships in the industry and the ability to efficiently place capital overnight. Piper Jaffray stated shares of CastlePoint with an Outperform rating and a $20 target.

• Lazard started Orasure Technologies Inc (NASDAQ: OSUR) with a Buy rating and $12 target based on new production launches and new CDC HIV testing guidelines...

OTHER INITIATIONS:

• UBS started Grant Prideco, Inc (NYSE: GRP) with a Neutral rating.

• Banc of America started Bon-Ton Stores, Inc (NASDAQ: BONT) with a Buy rating and $64 target.

• Roth Capital transferred coverage of Web.com, Inc (NASDAQ: WWWW) with a Buy rating and $8 target.

• City National Corp (NYSE: CYN) was started with a Hold rating at AG Edwards.

Analyst summaries provided by TheFlyOnTheWall.com (subscription required).

A few days ago, the U.S. Department of energy has seen fit to throw its hat into a $40 million solar energy development project launched by BP Plc ADS (NYSE:BP) BP Solar. A DOE Solar America Initiative grant of up to $7.5 million will be awarded to BP Solar for assistance in Phase 1 of the project. GreenProgress reported that BP America Chairman and President Bob Malone stated, "Our shared goal is to lower the cost and increase the supply of clean, renewable energy. BP is working with other companies, with leading research institutions and universities and with government... to make that possible."

The BP Solar program has identified a multi-tiered approach to making solar conversion to electricity a competitive adjunct to the current methods of producing electricity. BP seeks to increase the supply of solar grade silicon, reduce the amount of silicon required in the manufacture of solar panels and to increase the efficiency of those panels. BP also plans to pursue an aggressive program to reduce the costs associated with the manufacturing, distribution and installation of solar conversion equipment.

BP Solar President Lee Edwards is confident that the goals of the program can be fully realized, so that by 2015 solar produced electricity will be marketable in parity with electricity generated from other sources. BP seeks to reduce solar cell mass by 50% while at the same time increasing solar cell efficiency by 25%.

I was just listening to NPR's Marketplace, and perked up my ears when someone (who turned out to be James Grant of Grant's Interest Rate Observer) said, "Bernanke ... is in the business of price fixing." I knew it would be interesting, and paid closer attention.

Sure enough, things got a little hot in the NPR studios. Grant was explaining how there were two possible interpretations of the current market outlook: either we're in more danger of inflation, or in more danger of an economic slowdown. The Fed's behavior reflects its (and most importantly, chairman Ben Bernanke's) belief that the danger of inflation is great. Grant isn't so sure, he said: "It might just be the Fed is misinformed."

Yikes! Host Kai Ryssdal asked for clarification, saying Grant's analysis sounded "scary." So Grant dropped the bomb. "If, instead of the very important-sounding phrase 'central banker' you were to substitute the phrase 'government worker,' would you be a little less surprised of the possibility that the Fed could be misinformed?" Now them's fighting words, Grant. Not that any of us (or you, dear readers) seem to disagree ...