College Goal Sunday^SM provides free help to Kentucky Students filing for financial aid

To increase chances of receiving aid, students must file the FAFSA form before the March 15 deadline.

College Goal Sunday, a statewide charitable program providing free information and assistance to families applying for college financial aid, will take place at 2 p.m., Sunday, January 27, at 20 sites in 19 Kentucky communities. The program begins promptly at 2 p.m., and most sites close at 4 p.m. At College Goal Sunday, financial aid professionals from Kentucky colleges and universities will provide free assistance to students and families completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The FAFSA is the financial aid form required to receive federal aid by most colleges, universities and technical schools nationwide.

College Goal Sunday is sponsored by the Kentucky Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (KASFAA). It is funded by Lumina Foundation for Education, The Student Loan People and the Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority (KHEAA).

"College Goal Sunday provides an opportunity for students and parents to get FREE help in filling out the FAFSA. This federal application can help students qualify for thousands of dollars for college or technical school and is the ticket to a college education. Let the financial experts at College Goal Sunday help open the door of opportunity for Kentucky students," said KASFAA President Bryan Erslan.

Almost every college, university and technical school requires students to fill out the FAFSA as part of the eligibility requirement. More importantly, the FAFSA enables students to receive a variety of grants and loans that would otherwise be out of reach.

In Kentucky, seven grant and scholarship programs help approximately 57,000 students every year. Students who file the FAFSA as soon as possible after January 1 have the best chance of receiving these funds.

What to bring to College Goal Sunday

Students are encouraged to attend College Goal Sunday with their parent or guardian. They should bring their and their parents completed 2007 IRS 1040 tax return and any other 2007 income and benefits information. If families haven't completed their taxes, financial aid professionals will be able to help fill out the rest of the FAFSA form and give instructions for the financial portion. Everything else—pens, pencils and FAFSA forms—will be provided.

Financial aid demand continues to rise

According to KHEAA, participation in state aid programs more than quadrupled since the 1990s. And in the 2006-2007 academic year, KHEAA awarded approximately $189 million in higher education grants and scholarships to more than 120,800 students.

The average four-year college cost (including tuition, fees, room and board) for the 2007-2008 academic year is $12,150. However, with all the federal, state and private scholarships, grants, loans and other forms of financial aid a college education is still within reach.

For more information about College Goal Sunday, call toll-free, 1-888-4-KASFAA (1-888-452-7322).

The College Goal Sunday^SM program was created by the Indiana Student Financial Aid Association with funding from Lilly Endowment, Inc., and with supplemental support from the Lumina Foundation for Education.

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