FAFSA kickoff event held for FWCS seniors and parents

FORT WAYNE, Ind.—Purdue University Fort Wayne, Fort Wayne Community Schools (FWCS) and the Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership invite FWCS high school seniors and their families to attend a free FAFSA Kick-off event from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, October 6, at FWCS’ Family and Community Engagement Center (FACE), 230 East Douglas Avenue, with parking at the nearby Bill C. Anthis Center parking lot at 1200 South Barr Street.

Experts from FWCS and Purdue Fort Wayne will offer free assistance to those interested in completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Filing the FAFSA, a government form that streamlines the financial aid process for students wishing to get a college degree or credential, is necessary to qualify for assistance and reduce student loan burden.

In additiona to free FAFSA assistance, the event also will include:

• Food trucks, beginning at 11 a.m. (FWCS high school seniors and one guest each can receive a meal voucher after filling out the FAFSA form)
• T-shirt giveaways for students completing the FAFSA form
• Music provided by DJ Rello
• Games and activities
• Opportunities to win incentives for FAFSA completion, including a Visa gift card, various spirit baskets, and three Purdue University Fort Wayne scholarships

To file the FAFSA form, a student and one parent or guardian must each have a federal student aid identification and are encouraged to sign up for these online at fsaid.ed.gov prior to the event. Families also must bring their 2017 tax returns. Spanish translators will be present.

The FAFSA Kick-off marks the beginning of activities to be held at all five FWCS high schools and Purdue Fort Wayne’s campus to emphasize the importance of completing the FAFSA form. Universities and credential programs use the FAFSA as a basis for their offers to students of financial aid toward education or training after high school.

“To be considered for financial assistance, students must file a FAFSA,” said Shenita Bolton, K–12 college and career readiness manager for FWCS. “Even seniors who are not sure of the path they will take after graduation are encouraged to complete the FAFSA form, so if they eventually decide to pursue education after high school they will have an opportunity for free financial support, scholarships, k-study, loans, and even Pell grants.” A Pell grant is money given to a student by the federal government to help pay for college, and it doesn’t have to be repaid.

The campaign to spread the word about the importance of filing the form, called “The FAFSA Effect: You’ll never know if you don’t FAFSA,” is the result of a $35,000 grant from the National College Access Network (NCAN) made to the Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership, in collaboration with Purdue Fort Wayne and FWCS.

NCAN awarded grants of up to $40,000 to 25 organizations throughout the country to implement FAFSA completion programs among school systems with lower-than-average rates of completion.

“Our goal is that by the year 2030, at least 60 percent of the residents in our 11-county region in northeast Indiana will hold some type of college degree or career credential,” said Ryan Twiss, vice president of Regional Initiatives for the Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership. “We’re happy to be part of the efforts to help students consider their options to pursue a trade or degree and become aware of how filing the FAFSA can open doors.”

Krissy Creager, associate vice chancellor of enrollment management and student success at Purdue Fort Wayne, said filing the FAFSA is secure and relatively quick, especially with help from school and college staff. The university also will have administrators and students available to speak with FWCS students about college.

“In addition to discussing the FAFSA, Purdue Fort Wayne will be happy to answer questions about the admission process, course enrollment, and other aspects of being a college student,” said Creager

For additional information, contact Nicole Hahn at 260-481-4106 (work), 260-760-7409 (cell), or [email protected]

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