Your future, our focus
P O W E L L, W y o. - For many college-bound students and their parents, the hardest thing about getting ready for college is filling out the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) required by most colleges and universities to apply for all types of financial aid and scholarships. Northwest College will lend a hand again this year to Big Horn Basin residents by offering free help on Sunday, Feb. 11, for all college-bound students, regardless of which college they plan to attend.
NWC is giving away scholarships, prizes and lots of college-related assistance from 2-4 p.m. during College Goal Sunday in the Mathematics and Science Building on campus. Eligibility for some scholarships is limited to high school seniors; other scholarships are available to all participants.
Beverly Bell, director of financial aid and scholarships at NWC, invites all Big Horn Basin college-bound students and their parents to attend.
"We'll have several volunteers working to assist participants in completing the FAFSA online," Bell said. "It can be an intimidating process to get through, but we're trying to make it as painless as possible. We'll have plenty of food on hand and give out five $500 Northwest College scholarships plus six $200 scholarships funded by the Lumina Foundation that are good for any college in the United States."
In addition to FAFSA assistance, College Goal Sunday at Northwest will also provide coaching for students who are applying for scholarships and information about other financial aid programs. NWC volunteers will be on hand to assist students in writing essays to go along with their college applications.
Parents and students should bring with them their estimated or completed 2006 tax returns, W-2 forms and other pertinent 2006 income and benefits information. If parents can't attend, students still need to bring the information listed above.
Participants who have Internet access are strongly encouraged to get a PIN number as soon as possible so they can bring it to the session. Parents and students each need separate PINs (electronic signatures used when completing the FAFSA online). The PINs also allow Internet access to a multitude of other college-related financial aid information.
College Goal Sunday 2007 at Northwest College is part of a statewide event made possible by a grant from the Lumina Foundation for Education, the third largest private philanthropic organization in the country, in association USA Funds, one of the nation's leading education loan guarantors.
For more information about College Goal Sunday, e-mail Bell , or call (307) 754-6232 or toll free (800) 560-4692, ext. 6232.