College Goal Sunday on January 13 Will Provide Free Help to KY Students Filing for Financial Aid

College Goal Sunday, which provides free help to families applying for college financial aid, will take place at 2 p.m., Sunday, January 13, at 17 sites across the state. For south central Kentucky, the program will take place on the campus of Somerset Community College in the Meece Auditorium, located in Meece Hall, 808 Monticello Street.

The program begins promptly at 2 p.m., and most sites close at 4 p.m. All attendees will be eligible to enter into a drawing for a chance to win a scholarship that can be used at any Kentucky school.

At College Goal Sunday, financial aid professionals from Kentucky will help students and families complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The FAFSA is the form students must submit to receive federal and state student aid.

College Goal Sunday is sponsored by the Kentucky Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (KASFAA). It is funded by the Lumina Foundation for Education, the YMCA and KnowHow2GoKY.org.

“This is a premier event that provides Kentuckians with both informational and financial resources to reach their postsecondary educational goals,” said KASFAA President Chris Tolson. “With the assistance of the financial aid experts at College Goal Sunday students can submit the FAFSA in timely manner, enabling them to qualify for thousands of dollars in financial aid, including a variety of grants and loans.”

Demand continues to rise

According to the Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority (KHEAA), participation in state aid programs has more than quadrupled since the 1990s. In the 2011-2012 academic year, KHEAA disbursed $197.6 million in higher education grants and scholarships to nearly 96,800 students. Students who file the FAFSA before early February have the best chance of receiving these funds.

What to bring

Students are encouraged to attend College Goal Sunday with a parent or guardian. They should bring their and their parents’ completed 2012 IRS 1040 tax returns and any other 2012 income and benefit information. If families have not completed their taxes, we encourage families to bring their 2011 IRS 1040 tax forms and last paycheck stubs from 2012 so that financial aid professionals will be able to show families how to use estimated information to submit the FAFSA and how to go back and update their information once taxes are completed. Everything else—pens, pencils and FAFSA worksheets—will be provided. For more information about College Goal Sunday, call toll-free, 1-888-4-KASFAA (1-888-452-7322).