College Goal Sunday offers free financial aid information

Valparaiso University will provide free information and assistance to families in Northwest Indiana who are filing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) during College Goal Sunday on Feb. 12.

Families are invited to the Christopher Center for Library and Information Resources (valpo.edu/library) on campus from 2 to 4 p.m. to receive assistance from the University’s financial aid professionals in working through the FAFSA line-by-line and answering families’ individual questions. The session will be held in the Community Room, which is right inside the main entrance of the Christopher Center.

College Goal Sunday is a charitable program of the Indiana Student Financial Aid Association. Now in its 23rd year, College Goal Sunday has helped more than 87,000 Indiana students and families complete the complicated FAFSA form properly and on time, and has been cited as a valuable resource for first-generation college students and at-risk youth.

For Indiana students seeking undergraduate admission to a college or technical school in 2012, it is important to file the FAFSA – the form required by institutions of higher education nationwide – so that it is received by the federal processor by March 10. By filing on time, students have an improved chance of receiving federal and state grants, loans, scholarships and other financial aid.

Valpo is one of 39 sites statewide hosting College Goal Sunday events and the only Porter County location. A complete list of sites is available online at CollegeGoalSunday.org.

Students should attend College Goal Sunday with their parent(s) or guardian(s) and bring their parents’ completed 2011 IRS 1040 tax returns, W-2 Forms and other 2011 income and benefits information. Students who worked last year should also bring their income information. Students 24 years of age or older may attend alone and bring their own completed 20011 IRS 1040 tax return, W-2 Form or other 2011 income and benefits information. Students and parents may apply for their U.S. Department of Education Personal Identification Numbers (PINs) at www.pin.ed.gov before coming to the event.

Students attending College Goal Sunday also qualify for a chance to win a scholarship prize to help with their higher education expenses.

For more information about Valpo’s College Goal Sunday event, contact the Office of Financial Aid at (219) 464-5015.
About Valparaiso University
Valparaiso University is a comprehensive university with more than 4,000 students on its campus located in Northwest Indiana, an hour from Chicago. Valpo is a community of purpose-driven, service-minded and ethical individuals who embrace the pursuit of truth with freedom, humility and compassion. Valpo has been identified as one of the top master’s-level institutions in the Midwest by U.S. News & World Report magazine for the past 22 years. Valparaiso University offers 110 undergraduate academic programs through the colleges of Arts and Sciences, Business Administration, Engineering and Nursing. Valpo also has a distinguished honors college, a School of Law and more than 40 degree and certificate programs in its Graduate School and Continuing Education Division. Valpo has been recognized for its commitment to outstanding teaching, preparing thoughtful leaders with strong cross-cultural skills and global awareness, and dedication to serving others.