High school seniors can get help with $1,000 grant at Feb. 10 FAFSA FRENZY :: Posted on January 27, 2011 :: NWC News Desk :: Northwest College

Posted January 27, 2011

POWELL, Wyo. - Big Horn Basin high school seniors can get help earning a $1,000 grant to the college of their choice by attending FAFSA FRENZY from 3-7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 10, at Northwest College.

The Wyoming College Access Challenge Grant is available for the first time to Wyoming high school graduates who qualify for a Federal Pell Grant and complete the FAFSA by March 1. The $1,000 grant will follow students to any institution they choose to attend during the 2011-12 year.

Because the FAFSA can be intimidating, NWC is providing staff to assist high school seniors and their parents complete the online application. The Fagerberg Building computer labs in Rooms 26 and 28 will be staffed from 3-7 p.m. on Feb. 10.

Parents and students who plan to participate in the FAFSA FRENZY should go online to obtain a personal identification number (PIN) as soon as possible. Parents and students each need separate PINs (electronic signatures used when completing the FAFSA online).

It takes a minimum of 24-48 hours for the PIN application to be finalized and made available to the student or parent. The PINs also allow Internet access to a multitude of other college-related financial aid information.

In addition to a PIN number, parents and students should bring with them their completed 2010 tax returns, W-2 forms and other pertinent 2010 income and benefits information. If parents can’t attend, students still need to bring this information.

The only way for high school seniors and their parents to know if they qualify for a Pell Grant is by filling out the FAFSA. Unlike a loan, a Federal Pell Grant does not have to be repaid.

More information about Pell Grants is available online.

The FAFSA is required by most colleges and universities when applying for financial aid and scholarships. Completing it by the March 1 deadline allows eligible students to be considered for the new College Access Challenge Grant.

For more information about the Feb. 10 FAFSA FRENZY, call the Northwest College Financial Aid Office, (307) 754-6158.