Prospective college students and their families filling out daunting federal aid forms will get help today in Massachusetts and six other states.
Today is the first of several days on which College Goal Sunday sessions will be offered for those completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid forms around the country. Each year, hundreds of thousands of college students either get no financial aid or less than they would otherwise qualify for because they fail to fill out the FAFSA form, fill it out late, or fill it out incorrectly, said Gail Holt, cochairwoman of Massachusetts College Goal Sunday and senior associate director of financial services at Mount Holyoke College.
The American Council on Education estimates that 1.5 million college students annually who do not file FAFSA forms would qualify for aid if they did.
The two-hour College Goal Sunday program is being held at 22 locations around the state. It includes a presentation, and counselors will be available to give families individual attention.
Locations include the Boston Public Library's main Branch on Boylston Street, Pine Manor College, and the cafeteria of the Hyde Park Education Complex. A variety of high schools are hosting the program as well, including Framingham High School, Waltham High School, and Somerville High School. The Massachusetts event is part of the first wave of the 2008 events, which are also being held this weekend in Oregon, Rhode Island, Hawaii, Kentucky, Maine, and Washington.
FAFSA is required in order to be eligible for federal student aid programs, including Pell grants and Stafford loans, and most states and many private colleges use FAFSA information when determining institutional financial aid. Last year, about 1,600 families attended College Goal Sunday events around Massachusetts, and more are expected this year. Preregistration is encouraged but not required. Attendees should bring tax and income information. For more information, masscollegegoalsunday.org.
Material from Associated Press was included in this article.
