Get free help, advice Feb. 8 at site near you. By Carrie Click
For the second straight year, Colorado Mountain College is hosting College Goal Sunday, a national event that takes place one Sunday afternoon in February for any prospective college students and their parents to ask questions and get free help with financial aid paperwork. Nontraditional and independent students are encouraged to attend as well, and assistance is for applying to any college or university – not just Colorado Mountain College.
This year, the event runs from 1 to 3 p.m. on Feb. 8 at six Colorado Mountain College locations:
• Colorado Mountain College in Breckenridge, 107 Denison Placer Road
• Colorado Mountain College in Steamboat Springs, 1275 Crawford Ave.
• Colorado Mountain College in Glenwood Springs, Computer Lab, 1402 Blake Ave.
• Colorado Mountain College in Rifle, 3695 Airport Road
• Colorado Mountain College in Leadville, 901 South Highway 24
• Colorado Mountain College in Edwards, 150 Miller Ranch Road.
“Many students are intimidated and confused by the financial aid process,” said Janelle Cook, a financial aid specialist at Colorado Mountain College in Rifle. “At College Goal Sunday, professionals are present to answer questions. And students who attend College Goal Sunday and complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid successfully have a higher opportunity of receiving all the aid they are eligible for.”
During the session, help will be on hand to discuss opportunities for paying for college. Particular attention will be made in helping to fill out the FAFSA, which must be completed in order to apply for most types of financial aid such as federal and state aid, work study, student loans and many scholarships.
What to bring
To complete the FAFSA, attendees need to make certain that they bring all the information they need in order to fill out the form. And organizers say that it’s helpful to be able to work through the necessary paperwork with someone who knows the process and is there to help.
“The FAFSA process can present questions that students and parents are unfamiliar with like, ‘Are you a dislocated worker?’” said Natalie Torres, a registrar systems specialist at the college’s main administrative offices in Glenwood Springs. “Who knows what a dislocated worker is? Having a financial aid professional to assist you in filling out the FAFSA ensures it is done correctly.”
Organizers advise bringing the following information to the event:
• Social Security number
• Driver’s license number and state
• Household size and number of family members in college
• Child support (either received or paid during 2014)
• Name of high school that conferred your diploma
• Current bank statements
• Documentation of residency or noncitizen eligibility
• Federal income tax information including W-2 forms (either parents or self).
In addition to Colorado Mountain College, 14 other college campuses across the state will be hosting a College Goal Sunday event.
For more information, contact Tom Valles at Colorado Mountain College in Glenwood Springs, 970-945-8691 or tomvalles2@coloradomtn.edu, or go to collegegoalcolorado.org or collegegoalsundayusa.org.