Purdue Northwest Offers Hands-On Help with FAFSA on Feb. 27
College-bound students and their families can receive help applying for financial aid on Feb. 27 at Purdue University Northwest’s (PNW) Hammond and Westville campuses during free College Goal Sunday programs.
PNW’s Hammond campus program will be hosted in the library, located on the second floor of the Student Union and Library Building, 2233 173rd Street, Hammond. The Westville campus program will be in Room 219 of the Technology Building, 1401 S. U.S. 421, Westville. The program runs from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. CST at both locations.
FAFSA Deadline Approaching
College Goal Sunday helps Indiana students complete their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form. The FAFSA is a requirement for students to be eligible for state and federal grants, scholarships and student loans offered by most colleges, universities and vocational schools across the U.S.
The deadline for FAFSA submission to be eligible for Indiana financial aid is April 15, 2022.
See PNW’s Guide to Applying for Financial Aid
“If you need money for college, FAFSA provides resources to help with some of those educational expenses,” says Tanika House, PNW assistant director of Financial Aid. “Regardless of where you plan to attend, this event assists students and their families to complete the FAFSA application to receive the maximum amount of available financial aid and scholarships.”
College Goal Sunday, a charitable program organized by the Indiana Student Financial Aid Association, has helped more than 94,000 Indiana students and families complete the FAFSA correctly and on time. This is College Goal Sunday’s 33rd year.
“Students who don’t complete their financial aid paperwork properly and on time are often very disappointed when they find out how much financial aid they lost,” says Bill Wozniak, co-chair of College Goal Sunday. “This is why the Indiana Student Financial Aid Association not only continues to provide College Goal Sunday, but offers two events during the year. If our assistance gives students a better chance at education beyond high school and less debt, we’re fulfilling our mission.”
“Last year, Indiana high school graduates missed out on $65 million in Pell Grants by not filing the FAFSA,” says Teresa Lubbers, Indiana Commissioner for Higher Education. “If you are considering education beyond high school, filing the FAFSA is the best way to ensure you are receiving available financial aid. College Goal Sunday offers one-on-one assistance from financial aid experts to students and families to ensure their FAFSA is accurately completed.”
Students who don’t complete their financial aid paperwork properly and on time are often very disappointed when they find out how much financial aid they lost.
Materials to Bring
Students age 23 or younger should attend College Goal Sunday with a parent(s) or guardian(s). Parents and guardians should bring completed 2020 IRS 1040 tax returns, W-2 Forms and other 2020 income and benefits information. Students who worked should also bring their income information.
Students age 24 and older may attend alone and bring their completed 2020 IRS 1040 tax return, W-2 Form or other 2020 income and benefits information.
Students and parents are encouraged to apply for their U.S. Department of Education FSA IDs at studentaid.gov before coming to the event.
Volunteers will walk through the online form line-by-line and answer families’ individual questions as needed. All sites offer FAFSA online capabilities and many have Spanish interpreters.
Scholarship Opportunity
Students who attend College Goal Sunday and submit a completed evaluation form will be entered in a drawing to win one of five College Goal Sunday $1,000 scholarships. Winners will be notified in spring and scholarships will be sent directly to the higher education institution selected by the winning students.
Additional Information
Financial aid information can be obtained at Purdue Northwest by visiting the university’s financial aid website at www.pnw.edu/finaid; e-mailing the Office of Financial Aid at finaid@pnw.edu; or phoning the office at 219-989-2301 (Hammond) or at 219-785-5460 (Westville).
For more information and a complete list of sites, individuals may visit the College Goal Sunday website at http://www.collegegoalsunday.org/.
College Goal Sunday is a charitable collaboration involving the Indiana Student Financial Aid Association, in cooperation with the Indiana Commission for Higher Education. College Goal Sunday is co-funded by Lilly Endowment Inc. and INvestEd.