For people who don’t have a clue about how to pay for higher education, Mid-South Community College is offering a special event designed to help them find life-changing answers.
On February 19, MSCC will participate in College Goal Sunday, a free nationwide program designed to assist current and future students with the financial aid application process.
“From our experience, we know a lot of people are interested in seeking additional education but think they can’t afford it and have no idea that funds might be available for them to pursue their dreams,” said LeChelle Davenport, MSCC Director of Financial Aid. “Through College Goal Sunday, we will provide attendees with hands on, one-on-one help with filling out the financial aid application and show them that the application process is not as scary or difficult as they might have thought.”
“College Goal Sunday is the perfect opportunity to get the help you need to apply for financial assistance. Many volunteers will be on our campus to make the application process as simple as possible. Our goal is to ensure that anyone interested in pursuing education beyond high school will have that opportunity, regardless of their financial situation.”
College Goal Sunday will begin at 2 p.m. and continue through 4 p.m. in the Donald Reynolds Center for Educational Excellence on MSCC’s South Campus. MidSouth Community College is conveniently located at 2000 West Broadway in West Memphis.
The financial aid event is open to anyone interested in higher education and is not limited to students considering Mid-South Community College. Similar events will be conducted throughout the state and country.
This will be MSCC’s sixth year to participate in the nationwide initiative. The number of students and families who have taken advantage of the opportunity continues to grow.
Across the nation last year, College Goal Sunday served tens of thousands of students in approximately 700 sites across the U.S. About 9,000 volunteers nationwide participate each year in the financial aid awareness effort.
Students may apply for federal financial assistance throughout the year, but early in the spring is the best time because it allows time for financial aid staff members to build the best possible monetary package.
College Goal Sunday participants should bring their latest tax information (2011 tax returns, if available). For students under the age of 24, financial information of parents/guardians is also needed. Workshop participants will also need to bring Social Security numbers for both the student and the parents.
In addition to tax information, the students/parents need to have an idea about sources of untaxed income received in 2011 (Social Security benefits, child support, and alimony). They will also need to have a good idea about the amount of money they have in checking or savings accounts, and the monetary value of other family assets.
MSCC will also provide information on the Arkansas Academic Challenge Scholarships which include awards generated through the Arkansas Lottery. The statewide College Goal Sunday program is being coordinated by the Arkansas Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators and the Arkansas Department of Higher Education with the help of a grant from Lumina Foundation for Education. The YMCA of the USA is coordinating the national program.
“The Arkansas College Goal Sunday program is an effort by hundreds of volunteers …with the common goal of making sure that the process of applying for financial aid for college does not become an obstacle,” said Kattie Wing, statewide coordinator.
“Participants will receive free hands-on assistance in completing the FAFSA and will walk away from the event with a completed financial aid application and the satisfaction of knowing they have tackled one of the biggest steps in getting ready to go to college.”
“We just want folks to know that an education beyond high school is important, that financial aid is always available to help pay for their education, and that it’s definitely worth the effort to successfully complete the federal financial aid application,” Wing concluded.
For more information about College Goal Sunday or financial aid options at Mid-South Community College, please call (870) 733-6729.
College Goal Sunday was created in 1989 by the Indiana Student Financial Aid Association with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. and supplemental support from Lumina Foundation for Education.
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