Flathead Valley Community College will host College Goal Montana, a program that provides students who want to attend college and their families the opportunity to obtain assistance in applying for financial aid.
The event will take place Feb. 11 from noon to 6 p.m. on the Kalispell campus in room 120 of the Rebecca Chaney Broussard Center for Nursing and Health Science. Appointments are not required.
Free and open to the public, College Goal Montana is dedicated to guiding college-bound students and their families through the paperwork required to apply for financial assistance. Financial aid officers and other qualified professionals will be present to ensure students receive assistance in understanding and completing the necessary paperwork to receive financial aid, including the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
“About $150 billion in federal grants, loans and work-study funds is available each year, and that doesn’t include the state and institutional aid that is out there,” said Rhonda Safford, College Goal Montana statewide coordinator. “Financial aid professionals in Montana will tell you that the return on the investment of taking half an hour or 45 minutes to complete the FAFSA is worth it.”
In order to complete the FAFSA, students and their families who attend College Goal Montana will need to provide: Federal Student Aid identification numbers, which can be obtained at fsaid.ed.gov (students and at least one parent will need identification numbers if the student is under the age of 24); Social Security numbers (for students and parents); 2015 federal income tax returns (or 2014 federal income tax returns if 2015 returns are not completed); W-2 forms, tribal income or other aid information such as TANF, child support or other benefits; and additional asset information including money market funds, stocks and other investments.
The priority FAFSA filing date for Montana schools is March 1, with the exception of the University of Montana and Missoula College, which have a priority filing date of February 15. Students attending out-of-state schools should contact the school directly for priority dates.
For FAFSA tips and reminders, text “FAFSAHelp” to 41411. For more information about College Goal Montana, contact Sherri Staat at (406)756-3849.