IHCC offers free help with FAFSA forms

OTTUMWA ? Area students and families can get free assistance with forms required for federal financial aid at Iowa College Goal Sunday events that will be held on two Indian Hills Community College campuses in February.

?These events provide the opportunity for students and families to receive professional guidance and assistance with the financial aid forms, helping to ensure a student has the best chance at the maximum amount of financial aid available to them,? said Nancy Wright, Educational Opportunity Center director at IHCC. ?For many, the financial aid process is a scary thing and getting free help from professional financial aid experts helps them relax a bit and reduces the overall stress planning for college can have on a family.?

The first area workshop will be held 5-7 p.m. Feb. 19 on IHCC?s Centerville campus.

The second will be held 1-4 p.m. Feb. 23 on IHCC?s Ottumwa campus in the Arts and Sciences Center. No appointments are necessary, and people can stop by anytime during the workshops.

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 available in free paper and electronic forms from the U.S. Department of Education, is the first step in the qualification process.

Students or parents may attend individually, but it?s best if the student and at least one parent or guardian come together.

Certain information and paperwork are required to fill out the FAFSA. Persons need to bring the parents? and student?s Social Security numbers and dates of birth and the student?s driver?s license number.

They also need to bring the parents? and student?s most recent federal and state tax returns, W-2 forms or other records of income earned in 2013, current bank statements and investment records, records of untaxed income received last year, 2013 business and farm records if applicable and alien registration numbers if not a U.S. citizen.

Students and parents can register in advance for federal personal identification numbers to electronically sign the forms and make future changes. To request a PIN, visit www.pin.ed.gov.

For more information, contact Wright at 641-683-5130 or nancy.wright@indianhills.edu.