College-bound students and their families are invited to get free expert assistance with filing the 2012 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
Financial aid staff from Indiana University-Purdue University Columbus (IUPUC) will be available at 2 p.m. on Sunday, February 12 in the Columbus Learning Center as part of College Goal Sunday, a national outreach program.
“College Goal Sunday is an event for high school seniors and other Indiana students who qualify for undergraduate admission to a college or technical school and need financial aid,” said Jennifer Perry, coordinator of financial and scholarships at IUPUC.
College Goal Sunday helps bring students one step closer to fulfilling their educational goals, including those who are first-generation college students and students who live in single-parent families. Nearly half of all college students in Indiana qualify for state aid.
Perry is the College Goal Sunday site coordinator for Columbus. In total, the program will be held in 33 other Indiana host cities, including Bloomington, Evansville, Indianapolis, Kokomo, Lafayette, New Albany, South Bend, Richmond, and Vincennes. It has been sponsored by the Indiana Student Financial Aid Association for the past 23 years.
In addition to IUPUC volunteers, Perry said volunteers from Ivy Tech and Harrison College will also participate in the Columbus event. The volunteers will walk students and parents through the financial aid process.
“To be eligible for state aid, parents or students must file the required FAFSA by March 10.
It’s important to ensure the FAFSA is completed properly, so we volunteer our time to complete each section of the online form with students and answer their questions about their financial aid options,” Perry explained.
Perry advises students to bring their parents and the family’s completed 2011 IRS 1040 tax returns, W-2 forms, and other 2011 income and benefits information, which is required by state and federal financial aid regulations. Any student who is 24 years of age or older may attend alone. If the student was employed on a part-time or full-time basis in 2011, they should also bring their own tax return with W-2 form with them.
Attendees should also bring a FAFSA personal identification number (PIN) with them on February 12. “Students or parents should apply online for PIN at www.pin.ed.gov before the event,” she explained, noting the PIN number is needed to submit the forms.
The Indiana Student Financial Aid Association, of which Perry is also a member, operates a toll-free helpline during February’s Financial Aid Awareness Month. The helpline number is 800.992.2076.
“If we can give students a better chance at completing a college degree, we are fulfilling our mission,” Perry concluded.
For information about financial aid and scholarships at IUPUC call 812.348.7231.