Students To Get Free FAFSA Filing Help At College Goal Sunday
February 20, 2023 at 10:03 p.m.
By Staff Report-
The event is set from 2 to 4 p.m. Feb. 26 and will take place on Fort Wayne’s Coliseum campus, 3800 N. Anthony Blvd., and Warsaw, 2545 Silveus Crossing.
The free program assists Indiana students in filing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) in one afternoon. The FAFSA form is required for students to be considered for federal and state grants, scholarships and federal student loans at most colleges, universities and vocational/technical schools nationwide. Due to state deadlines, the FAFSA must be filed by April 15 to be eligible for most Indiana financial aid.
“We want students to capitalize on every opportunity they can that makes going to college affordable, no matter what field or industry they pursue or where they find themselves on their educational journey,” said Dr. Sue Ellspermann, president of Ivy Tech. “Ivy Tech is proud to host events like College Goal Sunday that align with the goals of the State of Indiana and the Commission for Higher Education, as we strive to achieve a statewide FAFSA completion rate of at least 60% this year.”
Now in its 34th year, College Goal Sunday has helped more than 94,000 Indiana students and families complete the FAFSA properly and on time. College Goal Sunday is a charitable program of the Indiana Student Financial Aid Association (ISFAA).
“The event on Feb. 26 will be the first of two College Goal Sunday events ISFAA is offering this FAFSA filing season.” said Bill Wozniak, co-chair of College Goal Sunday. “We hope all Hoosiers take advantage of College Goal Sunday, file the FAFSA, and get one step closer to fulfilling their educational goals.”
Students should attend College Goal Sunday with their parent(s) or guardian(s), and parent(s) should bring completed 2021 IRS 1040 tax returns, W-2 Forms and other 2021 income and benefits information. Students who worked should also bring their income information. Students 24 years of age or older may attend alone and bring their completed 2021 IRS 1040 tax return, W-2 Form or other 2021 income and benefits information. Students and parent(s) are encouraged to apply for their U.S. Department of Education FSA IDs at www.studentaid.gov before logging in to the event.
Volunteers will walk through the online form line-by-line and answer families’ individual questions as needed. All sites offer FAFSA online capabilities, and many have Spanish interpreters. A complete list of sites is available at www.collegegoalsunday.org.
Students may also win one of five $1,000 scholarships. Students who attend College Goal Sunday and submit a completed evaluation form will automatically be entered in a drawing for a $1,000 scholarship. The winners will be notified in spring and scholarships will be sent directly to the higher education institution selected by the winning students.
21st 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 completion, Scholars who have fulfilled the commitment and demonstrate financial need receive state funds to help cover their college tuition and fees for up to eight semesters at eligible Indiana public colleges or an equal dollar amount at eligible Indiana private colleges. To fulfill their pledge scholars must submit a completed FAFSA form on time, College Goal Sunday can help.
For more information about College Goal Sunday, visit www.collegegoalsunday.org.
The event is set from 2 to 4 p.m. Feb. 26 and will take place on Fort Wayne’s Coliseum campus, 3800 N. Anthony Blvd., and Warsaw, 2545 Silveus Crossing.
The free program assists Indiana students in filing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) in one afternoon. The FAFSA form is required for students to be considered for federal and state grants, scholarships and federal student loans at most colleges, universities and vocational/technical schools nationwide. Due to state deadlines, the FAFSA must be filed by April 15 to be eligible for most Indiana financial aid.
“We want students to capitalize on every opportunity they can that makes going to college affordable, no matter what field or industry they pursue or where they find themselves on their educational journey,” said Dr. Sue Ellspermann, president of Ivy Tech. “Ivy Tech is proud to host events like College Goal Sunday that align with the goals of the State of Indiana and the Commission for Higher Education, as we strive to achieve a statewide FAFSA completion rate of at least 60% this year.”
Now in its 34th year, College Goal Sunday has helped more than 94,000 Indiana students and families complete the FAFSA properly and on time. College Goal Sunday is a charitable program of the Indiana Student Financial Aid Association (ISFAA).
“The event on Feb. 26 will be the first of two College Goal Sunday events ISFAA is offering this FAFSA filing season.” said Bill Wozniak, co-chair of College Goal Sunday. “We hope all Hoosiers take advantage of College Goal Sunday, file the FAFSA, and get one step closer to fulfilling their educational goals.”
Students should attend College Goal Sunday with their parent(s) or guardian(s), and parent(s) should bring completed 2021 IRS 1040 tax returns, W-2 Forms and other 2021 income and benefits information. Students who worked should also bring their income information. Students 24 years of age or older may attend alone and bring their completed 2021 IRS 1040 tax return, W-2 Form or other 2021 income and benefits information. Students and parent(s) are encouraged to apply for their U.S. Department of Education FSA IDs at www.studentaid.gov before logging in to the event.
Volunteers will walk through the online form line-by-line and answer families’ individual questions as needed. All sites offer FAFSA online capabilities, and many have Spanish interpreters. A complete list of sites is available at www.collegegoalsunday.org.
Students may also win one of five $1,000 scholarships. Students who attend College Goal Sunday and submit a completed evaluation form will automatically be entered in a drawing for a $1,000 scholarship. The winners will be notified in spring and scholarships will be sent directly to the higher education institution selected by the winning students.
21st 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 completion, Scholars who have fulfilled the commitment and demonstrate financial need receive state funds to help cover their college tuition and fees for up to eight semesters at eligible Indiana public colleges or an equal dollar amount at eligible Indiana private colleges. To fulfill their pledge scholars must submit a completed FAFSA form on time, College Goal Sunday can help.
For more information about College Goal Sunday, visit www.collegegoalsunday.org.
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