“FAFSA Frenzy” event at Three Rivers will help potential students apply for financial aid | Events

POPLAR BLUFF, MO (KFVS) - Three Rivers College will host a “FAFSA Frenzy” event from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, February 17, to help potential college students fill out their Free Application for Federal Student Aid forms.

The event, co-sponsored by the Missouri Department of Higher Education, is designed to help low-income and first-generation college students complete the FAFSA, the first step for all federal need-based financial aid. Attendees will receive hands-on help from the college’s financial aid advisers in completing the online application, as well as information on the grants, loans, and scholarships available at the federal, state, and college levels.

“The financial aid process can be complicated and confusing, especially for first-time applicants,” said Davine Conover, a financial aid expert at Three Rivers. “This event allows us to sit down with the students and their parents, go over the forms with them, and answer any questions they might have.”

Students who attend the event will be entered to win a state scholarship, provided they enroll in a Missouri postsecondary program in the fall. Intent to enroll in Three Rivers classes is not required, and the school welcomes all potential students wanting to participate in “FAFSA Frenzy,” regardless of where they plan to attend college. However, information will be available to those considering attending Three Rivers.

Missouri students are encouraged to complete the FAFSA as early as possible. April 1 is the priority deadline for both state and federal financial aid. Students and families do not need to have filed their federal income taxes for 2012 in order to participate in a FAFSA Frenzy event or to complete the FAFSA.

Participants should bring their 2012 W-2 forms, as well as copies of their 2012 tax forms if ready. If students or their parents have not yet filed 2012 returns, they should bring any statements of interest earned in 2012, any 1099 forms, and any other forms required to complete taxes. This will allow completion of the FAFSA during the event, with corrections to be filed after tax returns are complete. Students should also obtain a student PIN and parent PIN online at www.pin.ed.gov before attending. For more information on the event, visit www.dhe.mo.gov/ppc/fafsa_completion.php.

“FAFSA Frenzy” is part of the College Goal Sunday program, a 37-state volunteer initiative that seeks to provide information and assistance to families seeking financial aid for postsecondary studies. This is the 10th year that Missouri has held statewide events to help with FAFSA completion, with 55 events being held at high schools and postsecondary education centers across the state. More than 9,500 Missouri students have received help at such events during the last nine years, 65 percent of whom were low-income, minority, and first-generation college students.

The events also boost college-going rates of low-income, minority and first-generation students. Commissioner of Higher Education David Russell said raising educational attainment among these groups could boost the state’s economy by $4 billion.

Three Rivers College is committed to contributing to the quality of life in Southeast Missouri with quality, affordable higher education opportunities and community services that support and encourage the economic, civic, and cultural vitality of the region.

For more information about college and workforce programs and upcoming events, visit trcc.edu.

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