The Mountain Eagle
WHITESBURG WEATHER

Students get help filing for financial aid




College Goal Sunday, which provides free help to families applying for college financial aid, will take place at 2 p.m., Sunday, January 31, at 21 sites across the state. The program begins at 2 p.m., and most sites close at 4 p.m. Each site will hold a drawing for a scholarship that can be used at any Kentucky school.

At College Goal Sunday, financial aid professionals will help students and families complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The FAFSA is the form students must submit to receive federal and state student aid.

The event is sponsored by the Kentucky Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (KASFAA). It is funded by the Lumina Foundation for Education, the YMCA, and KnowHow2GoKY.org.

In Kentucky, grant and scholarship programs help thousands of students every year. Students who file the FAFSA before March 15 have the best chance of receiving these funds.

What to bring: Students are encouraged to attend College Goal Sunday with a parent or guardian. They should bring their and their parents’ completed 2009 IRS 1040 tax return and any other 2009 income and benefits information. If families haven’t completed their taxes, financial aid professionals will be able to help fill out the rest of the FAFSA and give instructions for the financial portion. Everything else — pens, pencils and FAFSA worksheets — will be provided.

Demand continues to rise: According to KHEAA, participation in state aid programs has more than quadrupled since the 1990s. In the 2008-2009 academic year, KHEAA awarded nearly $195 million in higher education grants and scholarships to more than 123,000 students.

For more information about College Goal Sunday, call toll-free 1-888-452-7322.


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