FAFSA assistance program expands

WEST DES MOINES ? College-bound Iowa students and parents seeking help with financial aid forms will find it closer to home due to the expansion of Iowa College Goal Sunday to 36 locations in 29 communities throughout the state.

Southeastern Iowa Community College in West Burlington will host a College Goal Sunday event Saturday.

Indian Hills Community College in Ottumwa will host a College Goal Sunday event Feb 24.

Volunteers for Iowa College Goal Sunday will help students and their families fill out and file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid as part of a national program that helps students qualify for federal financial aid.

The FAFSA, which is a free form available in paper and electronic formats from the U.S. Department of Education, is the first step in the qualification process.

?This program is great for anyone who has questions or wants free help with the FAFSA,? said Jennifer Coffman, state coordinator of the 2013 Iowa College Goal Sunday. ?It?s especially helpful for students who are low-income or are in the first generation of their families to attend college, or both.?

In 2013, Iowa College Goal Sunday will be a weeklong event running from Saturday through Feb. 24 in Ames, Calmar, Cedar Rapids, Centerville, Clarinda, Clinton, Creston, Davenport, Denison, Des Moines, Dubuque, Emmetsburg, Fort Dodge, Iowa City, Iowa Falls, Keokuk, Lamoni, Marshalltown, Mason City, Monticello, Muscatine, Ottumwa, Perry, Sheldon, Sioux City, Storm Lake, Waterloo, Waverly and West Burlington. FAFSA assistance received at a College Goal Sunday location is free.

The Iowa College Goal Sunday planning committee has secured specific dates during Iowa College Goal Sunday week for each site and has recruited volunteers to assist families at each event.

?The success of the College Goal Sunday program is due, in large part, to the volunteers,? said Coffman. ?In 2012, we had professionals from college financial aid offices, local banking institutions, and state and private education organizations represented in our volunteers. Their knowledge and expertise made all the difference for the more than 600 families that received assistance, and we?ll look to them again this year.?

For information, visit the Iowa College Goal Sunday website at www.IowaCGS.org.

Details also are available from the Iowa College Access Network by calling 877-272-4692 or emailing CGS@ICANsucceed.org.