College financial aid options explained at free event

KALAMAZOO, Mich.—College-bound students and their families are invited to come to Western Michigan University Sunday, Feb. 14, for College Goal Sunday and to learn how to maximize their financial aid opportunities.

The event, set from 2 to 4 p.m. in Schneider Hall, is being held at sites across the country to help high school seniors and others fill out their Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA. Most students qualify for some type of financial aid, with a priority deadline of Tuesday, March 1.

WMU's event, one of dozens being held around the state as part of the MI College Goal effort, is open to everyone thinking about attending college, regardless of age.

What to bring

Volunteers from the University's Office of Student Financial Aid and Scholarships will be on hand to answer questions about financial aid resources and help guide attendees through each step of completing and filing the FAFSA.Students and parents or guardians need to bring a variety of materials to College Goal, including:

• FSA ID.
• Driver's license.
• Alien registration card (if a non-U.S. citizen).
• Social Security number.
• Federal income tax forms.

For a complete list of items students and parents or guardians need to bring, visit micollegegoal.org.


About College Goal Sunday

College Goal Sunday is a free program created to increase the number of students who continue their education beyond high school and earn post-secondary degrees. The FAFSA is required of any student seeking such financial aid as grants, loans and many scholarships.

Michigan College Goal is a collaborative effort of the Michigan Department of Treasury, Michigan Department of Education and Michigan Student Financial Aid Association, as well as two nonprofit organizations: EduGuide, which leads the effort, and USA Funds, which is the primary sponsor.

Visit micollegegoal.org for additional details about MI College Goal.

For more information about WMU's on-campus event, contact Nicole Martinez, Student Financial Aid, at @email or (269) 387-6000.

For more news, arts and events, visit wmich.edu/news.