Universities in our area are offering free help this weekend for students and their families seeking financial aid for college.
Missouri Western State University and Northwest Missouri State are both taking part in the “FAFSA Frenzy” on Sunday Feb. 12.
Financial aid professionals will offer free help filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA from 2-4 p.m. Sunday Feb. 12 in the atrium of Leah Spratt Hall. Northwest Missouri State is offering help at Colden Hall on campus in Maryville from 2-4 p.m.
“Next school year, the U.S. Department of Education will make more than $150 billion in postsecondary financial aid available to students throughout the nation,” said Marilyn Baker, Western’s director of financial aid. “The first step in accessing that aid is filling out the FAFSA, and we are happy to be able to help.”
Families who bring their completed 2011 income tax returns to FAFSA Frenzy will be able to complete the 2012-13 FAFSA on-site. Those who haven’t completed their tax returns will still learn valuable information to help them finish the FAFSA at home.
Scholarships will be drawn for students attending one of the approximately 50 FAFSA Frenzy events statewide. Winners will receive their scholarships upon receipt of enrollment verification for the 2012 fall semester at a Missouri postsecondary institution.
The FAFSA deadline for Missouri is April 1. However, the priority deadline for Western is March 1, so Baker encourages students to apply early.
For additional information about Western’s FAFSA Frenzy event, contact the Financial Aid Office at 816-271-4361. At Northwest, call the Office of Financial Assistance at 660-562-1363
2012 marks the ninth year that Missouri has participated in College Goal Sunday, a national effort to help students apply for financial aid. In the past eight years, CGS/FAFSA Frenzy has helped more than 7,300 Missouri students obtain financial aid.
FAFSA Frenzy, a program of College Goal Sunday, is offered in Missouri through partnerships between the Missouri Department of Higher Education (MDHE) with the Missouri Association of Student Financial Aid Personnel (MASFAP), the Lumina Foundation for Education, and the YMCA. To obtain additional information or access a complete list of FAFSA Frenzy events, visit the Missouri Department of Higher Education Web site.