Release Date: Feb 19, 2010 8:57 AM  

(Dover, DE.)  Completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is an essential – though not particularly enjoyable – step in applying for financial aid.

This year, there is help available, thanks to the Mid-Eastern Association of Education Opportunity Program Personnel, Delaware State TRIO Organization, the YMCA of the USA and Lumina Foundation for Education.  MEAEOPP, along with assistance from volunteers from around the state, are prepared to help students and their families fill out the FAFSA at two sites in Wilmington and Dover on Saturday, February 27.  This year, the event will be held on the Terry and Wilmington campuses of Delaware Technical & Community College from 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

The event is geared to making sure that anyone who would like to apply for financial aid, but needs help, receives assistance completing the necessary forms. “Filling out the FAFSA can be a difficult process,” said Rebecca Craft, coordinator for this year’s event.  “College Goal Sunday makes the process easier by providing one-on-one help for students and families.”  The FAFSA is the application for all federal aid and the state’s need-based grant. Most colleges require a FAFSA for institutional aid.

It is important that anyone who has questions about whether or not they can afford to go to college take the time to complete the application in the event they qualify for aid that they may not be familiar with.  National studies show that 40 percent of students who do not fill out the FAFSA would have qualified for some type of financial aid.

If attending the event, you will want to bring certain information, including:

• Social Security numbers for both student and parents
• 2009 Federal Tax Returns for both student and parents, or 2008 Federal Tax returns if the 2009 documents are not complete
• W2s and information about other sources of income, such as child support
• FAFSA pin numbers for both student and parent (These can be obtained at http://www.pin.ed.gov prior to College Goal Sunday.)

A comprehensive list of what to bring can be found at http://www.collegegoalsundayusa.org.

College Goal Sunday is a national program that was originally created by the Indiana Student Financial Aid Association with funding from Lilly Endowment, Inc. and with supplemental support from Lumina Foundation.  Lumina Foundation has provided funding to MEAEOPP to implement this program in Delaware.

For more information about Delaware College Goal Sunday, go to www.collegegoalsundayusa.org or call Rebecca Craft at (302) 857-1033 or email rcraft@dtcc.edu.

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Delaware's Department of Education is committed to promoting the highest quality education for every Delaware student by providing visionary leadership and superior service.	Contact Info. Alison Kepner Delaware Department of Education 401 Federal Street, Suite #2 Dover, Delaware 19901 Phone: (302) 735-4035 Fax: (302) 739-4654 Email: akepner@doe.k12.de.us
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