Last Updated on February 17, 2022 by Ivy Tech Community College Kokomo Service Area
KOKOMO, Ind. — Financial aid professionals will be volunteering at Ivy Tech Community College’s Logansport location and 39 other sites in Indiana for College Goal Sunday, an event designed to help college-bound students and their families open the door to financial aid. The event is set for 2 to 4 p.m. on Feb. 27 on the campus at 1 Ivy Tech Way in Logansport.
Interpreters will be available to provide translations for Spanish-speaking participants. Indiana University Kokomo is also serving as a College Goal Sunday site on its campus at 2300 S. Washington St. in Kokomo.
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.
“Last year, Indiana high school graduates missed out on $65 million in Pell Grants by not filing the FAFSA,” said Indiana Commissioner for Higher Education Teresa Lubbers. “If you are considering education beyond high school, filing the FAFSA is the best way to ensure you are receiving available financial aid. College Goal Sunday offers one-on-one assistance from financial aid experts to students and families to ensure their FAFSA is accurately completed.”
College Goal Sunday is valuable to families who may perceive 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.
Students should attend College Goal Sunday with their parent(s) or guardian(s) who should bring completed 2020 IRS 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. More information and 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 in the spring and scholarships will be sent directly to the higher education institution selected by the winning students.
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.
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 Bill Wozniak, co-chair of College Goal Sunday. “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.