The West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission (Commission) hosted the fourth annual College Goal Sunday event February 10 at 23 locations throughout the state. Students and parents can receive assistance completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) during the free workshops.
Online pre-registration is recommended, but not required for participation in this free workshop. Anyone planning to attend college next fall can participate, including graduating high school seniors, returning college students, or adult students interested in returning to school to earn a degree or certificate.
Nearly 400 financial aid experts were on hand to help students and families complete and submit the FAFSA and explore additional financial aid resources that may be available. Governor Earl Ray Tomblin said the state and community commitment to this initiative highlights the importance of helping more students attend and succeed in postsecondary education programs.
“College Goal Sunday is made possible through the generosity and dedication of hundreds of volunteers from our state’s colleges and universities, college access programs, community organizations, and the business community,” Governor Earl Ray Tomblin said. “Such collaborative efforts are the key to ensuring that more West Virginians achieve the dream of earning a college diploma, which will in turn ensure the economic success of our great state.”
Students, or potential students, who participate in the workshop were entered in a drawing to win one of 23 Apple iPads being given away across the state. Because completing the FAFSA requires listing information from individuals’ tax returns, many sites will also offer free income tax preparation services through a partnership with the West Virginia Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program.
Students and families should bring a driver’s license, both the student’s and parent’s Social Security number, 2012 tax records (or 2011 records if 2012 forms are not yet available), 2012 untaxed income records, and information about investments and bank account balances. All information that is provided will be submitted through the federal government’s secure FAFSA network. Volunteers at College Goal Sunday sites will keep students’ and families’ financial and other information private. A full list of site locations, times, items families should bring, and other details is available through the College Foundation of West Virginia (CFWV), the state’s college access web portal, located at www.cfwv.com.
College Goal Sunday was created by the Indiana Student Financial Aid Association with funding from Lilly Endowment, Inc., and with supplemental support from Lumina Foundation for Education. College Goal Sunday West Virginia is coordinated by the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission in partnership with the West Virginia Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, the West Virginia Council for Community and Technical College Education, the West Virginia Department of Education, the West Virginia Department of Education and the Arts, and college access organizations such as TRiO and GEAR UP. The event is made possible through the volunteer efforts and resources of public and non-profit organizations and businesses across the state.
