ON WISCONSIN: College Goal Sunday to help parents/college-bound

For the parents of high school seniors, 2010 will be an exciting year. Your son or daughter is preparing to graduate this spring and may very well be applying to a number of colleges and universities. You yourself might be looking to go back to school, maybe to receive extra training in your field or start a new career. So 2010 will surely be a year of big changes for many students and families and you are probably trying to figure out how to handle it all, including how to pay the impending tuition bill.

Financial aid could be a solution. Every student can apply for financial aid by filing a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). For those of you new to the process, FAFSA is the federally required form for students seeking financial aid. This includes federal, state, and college-sponsored financial aid, such as grants, educational loans, and work-study.

If you have never filed an FAFSA before or simply would like a refresher on what to do, parents and college-bound students can find help at College Goal Sunday! College Goal Sunday is a national event that provides free information and assistance to families filling out the FAFSA. This year’s events will be held Saturday, Feb. 20 and Sunday, Feb. 21, at 25 locations across Wisconsin.

University of Wisconsin-Sheboygan will host one of the College Goal Sunday events Sunday, Feb. 21, from 2-4 p.m. If you can’t make it to the Sunday event at UW-Sheboygan, there are assistance sites in Appleton, Milwaukee, and Waukesha on Saturday, Feb. 20. You can find a complete listing, as well as other information about financial aid and College Goal Sunday, online at: www.wicollegegoalsunday.org.

Applying to colleges is stressful enough. College Goal Sunday was set up to help alleviate some of that stress and anxiety to help high school seniors and those going back to school navigate the complex system of securing necessary financial aid dollars. As part of the event, financial aid experts will be on hand to help answer any questions that may arise when filling out FAFSA forms and any personal information discussed with an expert remains confidential.

The FAFSA form enables students to determine how much funding they are eligible to receive from state and federal grants, the federal Work-Study program, subsidized and unsubsidized loans, and other forms of assistance. This is one of the main reasons why all high school seniors who are contemplating continuing their education beyond high school, along with their parents, are encouraged to attend this event.

It is important to remember that filing an FAFSA form does not mean that the prospective student is now required to attend a post-secondary school. In the event that the student does decide to continue his or her academic career, the FAFSA may go a long way in securing financial aid.

Attending College Goal Sunday is as simple as showing up to one of the 25 sites around the state. Preregistration is not necessary; however, prompt attendance is requested so that there will be enough time for attendees to ask questions and receive information about how to properly file FAFSA forms.

If you plan on attending, there are a few things you should bring with you so that you can begin filling out your FAFSA forms the day of the event. All of the documents and information detailed below pertain to both the parents or legal guardians and the student applying. The list of items includes:
• Social Security numbers
• Driver's license (if any)
• 2009 federal tax returns
• 2008 federal tax returns, if 2008 returns are not complete
• 2009 untaxed income records (Social Security, Temporary Assistance to Needy Families, welfare or
veterans benefits records)
• 2009 bank statements
• 2009 business and investment mortgage information, business and farm records, and stock, bond, and
other investment records
• Alien registration card (if you are not a U.S. citizen)

It is recommended that a dependent student be accompanied by their parent(s) or legal guardian(s) because federal tax return information is required for FAFSA. Obviously if you are an independent student, you can simply bring your own tax information. And if you are missing a piece of information or forget certain materials the day of, don’t worry! Those in attendance will still benefit from the personal instruction, and the FAFSA forms can always be completed and submitted from home.

Once your FAFSA is complete, you will have to either mail or electronically submit your FAFSA information. It is completely up to you as to how you file, but just to note, usually the electronic submission will get you a faster response. If you know you will be attending College Goal Sunday and plan to submit your FAFSA forms at that time, you will need to obtain a FAFSA PIN number before the event. To get a FAFSA PIN, visit www.pin.ed.gov.

Every year, post-secondary students have the opportunity to receive financial assistance just by filing the FAFSA form. It is the best way for students and families to identify any financial aid awards and better budget for their college expenses. If you are new to the whole financial aid process or simply would like more information, College Goal Sunday is an excellent opportunity to have your questions answered. It only takes two hours and it may help you to reach those college goals.

Contact Me: If you would like to contact me regarding this or any other issue, you may call my office at 1-888-529-0026 or you can e-mail me at: Rep.VanAk keren@legis.wi.us. And, of course, if you want to send me a letter, you can send that to: Rep. Terry Van Akkeren, P.O. Box 8953, Madison, WI 53708-8953.