Financial aid professionals will volunteer at Indiana University Northwest and 41 other Indiana sites to help college-bound students and their families open the door to financial aid during College Goal Sunday, set for 2 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 21 in Hawthorn Hall, Room 428.
The free program assists Indiana students who are seeking undergraduate admission to a college or technical school in 2016 in filing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The FAFSA is required for students to be considered for federal and state grants, and loans and scholarships at most colleges, universities and vocational/technical schools nationwide.
FASFA filling must take place by March 10 to be eligible for state aid. College Goal Sunday is so important since completing this required form correctly and by the deadline is sometimes perceived to be complicated and time consuming. In less than one afternoon at a College Goal Sunday event, students and their families can get free help and file the form online.
Now in its 27th year, College Goal Sunday, a charitable program of the Indiana Student Financial Aid Association (ISFAA), has helped more than 90,000 Indiana students and families complete the FAFSA properly and on time, opening the door to financial aid for college.
Volunteers walk through the form line-by-line and answer families’ individual questions.
What students should bring
Students should attend College Goal Sunday with their parent(s) or guardian(s) and bring their parents’ completed:
2015 IRS 1040 tax returns;
W-2 Forms; or
Other 2015 income and benefits information.
Students who worked last year should also bring their income information.
Students 24 years of age or older may attend alone and bring their own completed:
2015 IRS 1040 tax return,
W-2 Form; or
Other 2015 income and benefits information.
Students and parents are encouraged to apply for their U.S. Department of Education FSA IDs at https://fsaid.ed.gov/npas/index.htm before coming to the event.
Attendees may win educational prizes
Students who attend College Goal Sunday and submit a completed evaluation form will automatically be entered into a drawing for one of 10 $1,000 scholarships. Winners will be notified in March, and prizes will be sent directly to the higher education institution selected by the winning students.
Twenty-first Century Scholars benefit
Twenty-first Century Scholars are income-eligible students who sign a contract in the seventh or eighth grade promising they will graduate from high school, meet grade point requirements, fulfill a pledge of good citizenship, and apply for college financial aid. Upon high school graduation, scholars who have fulfilled the commitment receive state funds to help cover their college tuition and fees for eight semesters at eligible Indiana colleges. To fulfill their pledge, scholars must submit a completed FAFSA form on time. College Goal Sunday can help.
Program is a national model
College Goal Sunday has more than tripled its reach, from 10 sites statewide in its first year to 36 sites currently, and it has become a national model to other College Goal Sunday programs. In addition to Indiana, College Goal Sunday now takes place in 34 other states.
For more information about College Goal Sunday, visit www.CollegeGoalSunday.org.
The IU Northwest Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships can be reached at (219) 980-6778.