March 18, 2024

Free help available for college financial aid

• Volunteers at SWCC to help families fill out FAFSA

CRESTON — Iowa students and their families are invited to get free assistance with forms required to file federal financial aid during an Iowa College Goal Sunday event, at Southwestern Community College (SWCC) in Creston 3 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 24, in room 119 of the Technical Center.

Students planning to attend any college are welcome to participate in this event.

“Iowa College Goal Sunday events provide opportunities for students and families to receive professional guidance and assistance with financial aid forms, helping ensure a student has the best chance at the maximum amount of financial aid available to them,” said Brittania Morey, state coordinator of Iowa College Goal Sunday. “For many the financial aid process is a scary thing and getting free help from a professional financial aid expert helps them relax a bit and reduces the overall stress planning for college can have on a family.”

Volunteers for Iowa College Goal Sunday, which will be held throughout February and March in 38 Iowa locations, will help students and their families fill out and file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) as part of a national program that helps students qualify for federal financial aid. The FAFSA, which is available in free paper and electronic forms from the U.S. Department of Education, is the first step in the qualification process.

Students or parents may attend individually, but it’s best if the student and at least one parent or guardian come together. Certain paperwork is required to fill out the forms.

Events will be held in Ames, Calmar, Cedar Falls, Cedar Rapids, Centerville, Clarinda, Clinton, Council Bluffs, Creston, Davenport, Denison, Des Moines, Dubuque, Emmetsburg, Fort Dodge, Iowa City, Iowa Falls, Keokuk, Lamoni, Marshalltown, Mason City, Monticello, Muscatine, Ottumwa, Perry, Sheldon, Sioux City, Storm Lake, Waterloo, Waverly and West Burlington.

For information on locations, dates and times, visit www.IowaCGS.org. Details are also available from the Iowa College Access Network (ICAN) at 877-272-4692 or CGS@ICANsucceed.org.

Iowa College Goal Sunday is part of the national College Goal Sunday program, currently managed by USA Funds and held in 40 states and the District of Columbia. A number of Iowa organizations have partnered to plan and present Iowa College Goal Sunday.

To complete the FAFSA, families should bring, for both the student and parent, the following:

• Social Security number, driver’s license number and date of birth

• Most recent federal and state tax returns

• W-2 forms or other records of income earned last year

• Current bank statements and investment records

• Records of untaxed income received last year

• 2014 business and farm records

• Alien registration numbers if not a U.S. citizen

Students and parents may also register in advance for federal personal identification numbers (PINs) to electronically sign the forms and make future changes. To request a PIN, visit www.pin.ed.gov.

About College Goal Sunday

The Iowa College Goal Sunday is part of the national College Goal Sunday program, currently managed by USA Funds and held in 40 states and the District of Columbia. The program is funded by a grant through USA Funds with additional support from the Iowa Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (IASFAA).