The senior year of high school can seem like an endless parade of important deadlines. Test registrations. College applications. But few deadlines are as important to remember as March 10th. In the state of Indiana this is the deadline for filing the FAFSA or Free Application for Federal Student Aid and each and every student intending to enter into higher education within the next year needs to complete this form.
For many, the prospect of completing the FAFSA can be scary, especially if it is your first time.
Angela Spangler, director of Adult and Graduate Financial Aid at Indiana Wesleyan University, said many people instantly get a little overwhelmed by the FAFSA. Spangler recalls feeling that way herself many years ago when she was preparing to go to college.
“I remember very clearly filling out the FAFSA for the first time,” she says. “I remember thinking if I filled it out wrong that the IRS was going to padlock and take me to jail.”
Spangler’s advice: “Don’t be afraid. Financial aid doesn’t have to be a terribly difficult process. Before you get frustrated, know that there’s hope out there.”
Mississinewa senior, Nathan Hobbs, agrees that there is both hope and help out there for seniors applying for financial aid.
“We’ve been hearing about FAFSA since our junior year,” he says. “Seniors just need to do it while they have the help available.”
Project Leadership in partnership with the five Grant County school systems and the National Center for College Costs will be offering help in the form of FAFSA labs at each of Grant County’s high schools during the weeks of February 14th and 21st.
FAFSA Labs will begin at the start of the school day when each senior English class will be brought down to complete their FAFSA online and consult with a representative from the National Center for College Costs. Labs will continue to be open after school until 7 p.m. for families to complete their forms and meet with financial aid professionals.
While Grant County’s FAFSA Labs are being brought directly to the high school seniors in our community, current college students and parents looking at attending college are also invited to take advantage of this free service.
According to Spangler, it’s important to remember that the first F in FAFSA stands for “free.” She cautions people against being drawn in by services that solicit payment to complete the forms.
“Don’t ever get caught up in a trap to pay to have anyone do it for you,” she says. “Find someone else who’s been through the process and gain knowledge from them.”
