WVC to host three hands-on FAFSA completion events during winter quarter

High school seniors and others planning on taking college courses during the 2011-2012 academic year are encouraged to attend one of three hands-on college financial aid events this winter quarter at Wenatchee Valley College (WVC). The first event will be held at WVC at Omak on Sunday, Jan. 23, from 1-3 p.m. Two events will be held on the WVC Wenatchee campus on Tuesday, Feb. 1, and Wednesday, Feb. 16, from 6-8 p.m. in Wenatchi Hall. Children’s activities will be provided during the Wenatchee campus event.
 
WVC is hosting these events as part of the College Goal Sunday (CGS) Washington program. These events are happening across the state in January and February. Financial aid experts, college professionals, high school staff and community volunteers will be available to answer questions and provide free one-on-one help to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form online for both English and Spanish-speaking students and families. 

Students who attend and register on theWashBoard.org - a free, scholarship clearinghouse for Washington students - will be eligible to win college scholarships from the Northwest Education Loan Association (NELA) Center for Student Success, administrator of the CGS Washington program. Each site will award $1,000 in scholarships.
 
Prospective students need to bring the following to the event:

• 2010 income tax forms, or 2009 tax forms if 2010 forms are not complete, and those of your parents if you are a dependent student
• FAFSA pin, if available (register for your pin at www.pin.ed.gov)
• Social Security Number
• Driver’s license
• U.S. Resident Card number (if applicable)
• Untaxed income (untaxed social security benefits, TANF benefits, child support received etc.)
• Other financial information (W2’s, net worth of real estate property, value of other investments such as stocks and bonds etc.) 

WVC’s priority financial aid application deadline is Tuesday, March 1, 2010. Due to a high volume of applications, allow up to two weeks for processing. FAFSA applications can be submitted starting Jan. 1.
 
CGS is a nationwide program that provides education and information about the availability of financial aid in addition to providing expert assistance in filling out the paperwork required to apply and qualify for that aid. The program was created by the Indiana Student Financial Aid Association in 1989 with funding from Lilly Endowment, Inc., and with supplemental support from Lumina Foundation for Education. Originally held on Sundays, these events are now hosted on any day of the week in communities nationwide. Nationally, events are scheduled in 39 states, plus the District of Columbia. These will be the third annual CGS events at WVC.
 
To register to attend or volunteer to assist at the events, visit the CGS Washington web site at www.collegegoalsundaywa.org. Local contacts are (Omak) Rebecca Hightower RHightower@collegesuccessfoundation.org, (Wenatchee) Libby Siebens lsiebens@wvc.edu or Faviola Barbosa fcontreras@wvc.edu.