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Financial aid experts will be available to help college-bound students and their families complete and submit the federal financial aid form at the College Goal Georgia event on March 16 from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College.

Director of Student Financial Services Traci Bryan said ABAC personnel will be on hand to assist high school seniors in the completion of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) in rooms 132 and 134 in the Agricultural Sciences Building. FAFSA is the federally required form for all students seeking financial aid, including federal and state grants, loans and work-study programs. 

Bryan said an extra added attraction this year is that high school seniors who participate can enter to win a $1,000 scholarship to help pay for colleg

“Filling out the FAFSA is the first critical step in applying for federal and state grants, loans and scholarships to help pay for college,” Bryan said.  “Our goal is to make it as easy as possible for students to complete this paper work so they can focus on getting ready for college.”

College Goal Georgia, a part of the national College Goal Sunday initiative, is sponsored by the Georgia Student Finance Commission (GSFC). It is a free event to help students and families who need assistance in completing the financial aid forms, with a particular focus on helping low-income, first-generation families. The federal government requires a FAFSA from all students seeking financial aid to attend and pay for college.

“GSFC and College Goal Georgia want to ensure finances and completing the FAFSA are not barriers to attending college for anyone, especially students from under-represented communities,” said Angie Newell, College Goal Georgia’s statewide coordinator.

The College Goal Sunday program was created by the Indiana Student Financial Aid Association with funding from Lilly Endowment, Inc., and with supplemental support from Lumina Foundation for Education. Currently, College Goal Sunday events are being held in 40 states and the District of Columbia.

GSFC helps students achieve their educational goals by administering financial aid programs and advocating for Georgia students and other state institutions on issues related to financing higher education. GSFC administers the HOPE Scholarship and Grant programs as well as other state and lottery funded scholarship, grant, and service-cancelable loan programs. 

For more information about College Goal Georgia and the information that students and parents need to bring to the event, interested persons can visit collegegoalsundayga.com.

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