Hoosier students and families are encouraged to get help filing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at any one of 37 College Goal Sunday sites across the state on November 3.
With over $387 million in state financial aid available, as well as billions of dollars in federal aid, all students should file the FAFSA, regardless of family income. The FAFSA is required for determining state and federal aid including grants, scholarships and student loans, and many colleges require a completed FAFSA to award merit and need-based scholarships.
Now in its 31st year, College Goal Sunday is a partnership between the Indiana Commission for Higher Education, Indiana Student Financial Aid Association (ISFAA), the Lilly Endowment, INvestEd and College Goal Sunday.
“Indiana has one of the most generous financial aid programs in the nation, but students must file the FAFSA in order to take advantage of it,” said Indiana Commissioner for Higher Education Teresa Lubbers. “We are pleased to be working with organizations like College Goal Sunday that help ensure more Hoosiers complete the form, getting them one step closer to completing education beyond high school.”
Financial aid experts will be available on-site at all locations starting at 2 p.m. (local time) on Sunday, November 3. For a list of all College Goal Sunday event locations, visit collegegoalsunday.org/index.php/information.
Students who attend any of the College Goal Sunday sites should be sure to submit a completed evaluation form to be automatically entered into a drawing for one of five $1,000 scholarships to be used toward any educational cost associated with college. The winners will be notified in December, and awards will be sent directly to the higher education institution selected by the winning students.
What you’ll need to file the FAFSA
Students can file the FAFSA online at FAFSA.gov or by using the myStudentAid app. The first step for students who have not previously filed the FAFSA is to create a Federal Student Aid (FSA) ID. Then, each student will need:
- Social Security number
- Alien Registration number (for non-U.S. citizens)
- 2018 Federal income tax returns, W-2s and other records of money earned
- Bank statements and records of investments (if applicable)
- Records of untaxed income (if applicable)
The U.S. Department of Education provides email and live chat assistance for FAFSA filers as well as a helpline at 800-4FED-AID. Hoosier families can also find FAFSA help through INvestEd Indiana at www.investedindiana.org.
For questions about state financial aid, students can contact the Indiana Commission for Higher Education by phone at 888-528-4719 or via email at awards@che.in.gov.
