Published: February 15, 2008 10:04 am      

College Goal Sunday at IUS offers line-by-line help on form

College-bound students who need help applying for state and federal financial aid can find assistance this weekend at a free event at Indiana University Southeast.

College Goal Sunday is happening at 36 locations around the state at 2 p.m. Feb. 17. The event will be held in the Hoosier Room at IUS.

Brittany Hubbard, director of financial aid at the New Albany campus, said she expects between 200 and 300 students to attend the annual event. More than 5,000 students attended the event statewide last year, a press release says.

Completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid form is required to apply for financial aid, which includes scholarships, grants and loans from the state and federal government, Hubbard said.

In order to complete the form, parents need to bring their 2007 IRS 1040 tax returns, W-2 Forms and other 2007 income and benefits information. If a student worked last year, they should also bring their income information.

Marcia Weston with the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators in Washington, D.C., said College Goal Sunday programs will be held in 35 states, plus the District of Columbia.

“The volunteers at each site assist families with line-by-line completion of FAFSA forms,” Weston said. “For many students, the form is a barrier. We try to make the process easier.”

Hubbard said several local high schools have promoted the event.

New Albany High School Counselor Laura McGuirk said the school has made a multitude of announcements about the event, in addition to hanging flyers and pushing the occasion to students during one-on-one appointments.

“It’s on a Sunday, so it makes it easier for parents and students to come out ... there’s not as much an issue with working schedules, for one,” McGuirk said. “It’s really one of the most important days on our calendar for students who want to go to college.”

The form can be intimidating and confusing to first-time applicants, McGuirk said. College Goal Sunday is tailor-made for them, she said.

“There’s no question that can be asked [at College Goal Sunday] that someone there doesn’t have an answer for,” she said.

More than half of Indiana students qualify for financial aid from the state, according a College Goal press release.

“It’s really worth the time to fill out the form,” Hubbard said. “It’s important to at least try to fill out the FAFSA and ... turn it in before March 10th for the best results.”

Sue Allman, a state media coordinator for College Goal, has been involved with the program since it began in 1989. She said organizers make a conscious effort to market the event to first-generation students.

“Our target population is low-income, minority families. Generally, they have the fewest resources and access to complete the FAFSA,” Allman said. “On top of that, more and more middle income families attend because they have questions.”

Thousands of students have been helped by the program on their way to enrolling in college, Allman said. Inevitably, she said, there’s been some success stories born out of the event.

“One young lady who attended one of the first College Goal Sundays went to college and now she works in the governor’s office in Indianapolis,” Allman said.

This is the first year the U.S. Government hasn't printed paper copies of the form, Hubbard said.

“They want everyone to do it on the Internet now,” Hubbard said. “I think 96 percent filled it out online last year.”

Expanding access to education is the No. 1 goal of state-sponsored events such as College Goal Sunday, Hubbard said.

The program originated in Indiana. Since spreading nationally, the state has more than tripled the number of sites available to college hopefuls.

“For 19 years, Indiana has successfully identified what areas of the state need this service the most. They’ve really got this down to a science,” Weston said.

More than 70,000 Indiana students have used College Goal Sunday to apply for financial aid since 1989, Allman said.

“The goal of the day is to have a family walk out of that room on the 17th with the FAFSA completed ... and hopefully onto a successful college experience,” she said.

Hubbard said the event’s Web site, www.collegegoalsunday.org, can answer most questions that participants have about the event.

“We hope that after students and parents attend, they’ll be able to fill out the form in the comfort of their own home,” Hubbard said. “But if not, they can always come back to us.”