A national effort to help families find money for college may be more important than ever this year because of the economic downturn.
The University of Central Florida's financial aid experts will participate for the fourth consecutive year in College Goal Sunday, which provides families with a comfortable atmosphere and the assistance they need to correctly and timely file for financial aid.
UCF will host the event from noon to 3 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 22, in the Garden Key Room, room 221 A&B, in the Student Union located on the main campus. Free parking will be available for College Goal Sunday attendees in Garage H located at Gemini Boulevard and Centaurus Drive, near the Education Complex.
Students who plan to attend any university or community college are welcome to attend. The event is open to all students but is primarily designed for high school students and their families.
"This year, more than ever, we want to reach out to the community and do our part," says Karemah Campbell, a financial aid coordinator at UCF who helped to organize the event. "We want to help students and families by providing a relaxing, fun atmosphere and a friendly staff to assist them in this often confusing process. Our goal is to help them receive as much federal money as they need to attend college."
Presentations will be given at the top of every hour, starting at noon. The 1 p.m. presentation will be in Spanish. Staff who speak English, Spanish and Creole will be available to help families and translate information during the entire event.
Financial aid experts will help students and their families fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA -- the form that helps students access billions of dollars in federal funds available for college.
Students and parents need to provide their filed 2008 tax forms or their W-2 forms if they haven't filed their taxes yet. They also should bring their most recent bank statement. Students and parents are encouraged to apply online before the event for a Federal Student Aid pin. It can be obtained by visiting www.pin.ed.gov. The rest of the supplies will be provided by the university.
UCF will be one of nine College Goal Sunday locations in Central Florida. The complete list of the venues and times can be found at www.collegegoalsundayflorida.org.
College Goal Sunday is funded nationally by Lumina, a private, independent foundation that strives to help people achieve their potential in education beyond high school. Florida's events are coordinated by Enlace, a network promoting college readiness, access and success for Latinos, African-Americans and other underrepresented students through community efforts.
For more information on College Goal Sunday, visit www.collegegoalsundayusa.org. Visit http://campusmap.ucf.edu for a map of UCF.
Posted 02/13/09 to www.NASFAA.org. Posting of press releases is done as a service to Members and does not imply endorsement or support by NASFAA. NASFAA does not review this information for content or accuracy.
