UM-Flint Helps Families File for Financial Aid

The Financial Aid Office of the University of Michigan-Flint will help college-bound students and their families complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid or FAFSA during the College Goal Sunday event on Sunday, February 10, 2008.

College Goal Sunday is a program designed to increase the number of Michigan students who continue education beyond high school and earn post-secondary degrees. The FAFSA is required of any student seeking financial aid including grants, loans, and many scholarships. It is a state wide program assists many students and families that otherwise would not have the help they need to complete the FAFSA.

"The FAFSA is the starting point for receiving financial aid and we encourage students and families to participate in this free event," said Lori Vedder, UM-Flint's director of financial aid. "Too many students still miss out on attending college because they don't know how to find the means to assist with their college costs. They give up and assume it is out of their reach. It is our goal to get the word out to as many of these potential college students so we can assist them in crossing that threshold into higher education."

Statistics show that students who complete and submit FAFSA forms are more likely to go on to college. Students under 23 years of age are encouraged to attend with a parent or guardian. Parents and students should bring their families' completed 2007 IRS 1040 tax return (if possible) or their W-2 and 1099 forms. College Goal Sunday is a collaborative effort among the Michigan Guaranty Agency, the Michigan Student Financial Aid Association and EduGuide: Partnership for Learning. Twenty-seven sites across Michigan will host College Goal Sunday on February 10, 2008. For additional information and a complete list of sites, go to www.micollegegoal.org.

More than $6,000 in gifts and prizes will be handed out during College Goal Sunday events, including scholarships, a Dell laptop computer, and Barnes & Noble gift cards.

Additional support for College Goal Sunday was provided by the Great Lakes Higher Education Guaranty Corporation, the Lumina Foundation for Education, and the National Association for Student Financial Aid Administrators.