Canton College Helping with Financial Aid Forms as Part of FAFSA Day

In keeping with the Patrick-Murray Administration’s efforts to make college more affordable for Massachusetts students, ten Massachusetts public colleges and universities will take part FAFSA Day. Colleges, including , which takes place on Monday, January 30, are joining a national campaign to help students fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

The 8^TH annual FAFSA Day is aimed at providing free assistance to anyone entering college in 2012 – with the goal of helping 2,012 Massachusetts students fill out their FAFSAs this year.

Public campuses hosting FAFSA events beginning this Sunday include: Massasoit Community College in Canton (on 1/30,) Berkshire Community College Intermodel Education Center, Bristol Community College, Cape Cod Community College, Fitchburg State University, Holyoke Community College, Middlesex Community College, Northern Essex Community College (Lawrence campus), North Shore Community College and Quinsigamond Community College.

“Every year I see deserving, accomplished students who are forced to postpone or drop out of college because they didn’t have assistance in filling out the FAFSA,” said Clantha McCurdy, Senior Deputy Commissioner for Access and Student Financial Assistance at the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education. “I’m so pleased to see that ten of our public college and university campuses have committed time and resources to help these students make their way through what can be a daunting application process.”

The FAFSA Day program is sponsored by the Massachusetts Association of Financial Aid Administrations (MASFAA) and a host of educational and community partners including TRIO, Gear Up and Upward Bound. Volunteers will staff over 25 locations across the Commonwealth, including 10 locations at public campuses. They will offer guidance to students and families in both Spanish and English. Without a completed FAFSA, many students forfeit their eligibility for federal, state and institutional aid as well as loans and work study opportunities. 

A 2009 FAFSA Completion Project study commissioned by the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education (BHE) found that 45% of degree seeking undergraduates at the state’s public colleges and universities did not complete a FAFSA in 2006. The findings led the BHE to require campuses to add FAFSA Completion language to their admissions applications by June, 2009. By fall, 2010, the non-completion rate had fallen to 31%. Despite the progress, advocates for low-income and first-generation students say it is still unacceptable to see that nearly one third of all public higher education students in the Commonwealth may still be forfeiting precious financial aid dollars.

Increasing FAFSA completion rates and ensuring that students and families have robust and accurate resources on financial aid options has been shown to have a positive impact on college completion rates.

Families are encouraged to bring the following information to assist in FAFSA completion:

• Personal identification numbers (PINs) for both student and parent (available at www.pin.gov)
• 2011 untaxed income statement
• 2011 bank statements
• most recent tax returns
• 2011 business and investment records
• Social Security number
• driver’s license
• 2011 W-2 Forms

For complete FAFSA Day Information, go to www.FAFSAday.org

-Press release by MA Department of Higher Education.