Last Updated on November 1, 2021 by Ivy TechCommunity College Kokomo Region
KOKOMO, Ind. — Financial aid professionals will be volunteering at Ivy Tech Community College’s Kokomo and Logansport locations and 36 other sites in Indiana to help college-bound students and their families open the door to financial aid during College Goal Sunday. The event is set for 2 to 4 p.m. on Nov. 7 on the campuses at 1815 E. Morgan St. in Kokomo and 1 Ivy Tech Way in Logansport.
An interpreter will be available at Ivy Tech Logansport to provide translations for Spanish-speaking participants.
The free program assists Indiana students in filing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The FAFSA form is required for students to be considered for federal and state grants, scholarships and student loans at most colleges, universities and vocational/technical schools nationwide. The FAFSA must be filed by April 15 for the student to be eligible for Indiana financial aid.
College Goal Sunday is valuable to families who may perceive completing this required form to be too complicated and time-consuming to complete. In less than one afternoon at a College Goal Sunday event, students and their families can get free help and file the form online.
“The event on Nov. 7 ill be the first of two College Goal Sunday events being offered by the Indiana Student Financial Aid Association (ISFAA) this FAFSA filing season,” said Bill Wozniak, co-chair of College Goal Sunday. “We hope all Hoosiers who have not filed already will take advantage of College Goal Sunday, file the FAFSA, and get one step closer to fulfilling their educational goals.”
Students should attend College Goal Sunday with their parent(s) or guardian(s) who should bring completed 20120IRS 1040 tax returns, W-2 Forms and other 2020 income and benefits information. Students who worked last year should bring their income information as well. Students 24 years of age or older may attend alone and bring their own completed 2020 IRS 1040 tax return, W-2 Form or other 2020 income and benefits information. Students and parents are encouraged to apply for their U.S. Department of Education FSA IDs at studentaid.gov before coming to the event.
Volunteers will walk through the online form line-by-line and answer families’ individual questions as needed. A complete list of sites is available at CollegeGoalSunday.org.
Students may also win one of five $1,000 scholarships. Students who attend College Goal Sunday and submit a completed evaluation form will automatically be entered in a drawing for a $1,000 scholarship. The winners will be notified next spring and scholarships will be sent directly to the higher education institution selected by the winning students.
Especially valuable to first-generation college students, College Goal Sunday can help 21st Century Scholars (income-eligible students who sign a contract in the seventh or eighth grade promising they will graduate from high school, meet grade point requirements, fulfill a pledge of good citizenship, and apply for college financial aid). To fulfill their pledge, scholars must submit a completed FAFSA form on time. Upon high school graduation, Scholars who have fulfilled the commitment receive state funds to help cover their college tuition and fees for eight semesters at eligible Indiana colleges.
Now in its 33rd year, College Goal Sunday has helped more than 94,000 Indiana students and families complete the FAFSA properly and on time.
For more information about College Goal Sunday, visit CollegeGoalSunday.org.
According to the Indiana Commission for Higher Education, programs like College Goal Sunday are reaching first-generation college students. In recent years, according to CHE statistics, more single-parent Hoosier families have filed for financial aid, indicating programs like College Goal Sunday are reaching high-risk students and their families.
“Students who don’t complete their financial aid paperwork properly and on time are often very disappointed when they find out how much financial aid they lost,” said Wozniak. “This is why the Indiana Student Financial Aid Association not only continues to provide College Goal Sunday, but offers two events during the year. If our assistance gives students a better chance at higher education and less debt, we’re fulfilling our mission.”
College Goal Sunday originated in Indiana and is now a national model. Following Indiana’s example, College Goal Sunday events organized by more than 34 states have opened doors to higher education for hundreds of thousands of students all over the country.
SOURCE: News release from Ivy Tech Community College