College Financial Aid Help Sessions For Seniors Start This Week

SOUTH AUSTIN, TX -- The Austin ISD is teaming up with the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce to assist high school seniors apply for college funding, with kickoff events starting at a pair of South Austin high schools this week.

Dubbed “Financial Aid Saturdays,” the annual program provides free assistance to students needing help in completing federal and state financial aid applications. Benefiting seniors, the first two events are scheduled Feb. 6 at South Austin high schools -- Akins and Bowie.

Financial aid experts from area colleges and universities, along with business and community volunteers, will be on hand to assist students.

In publicizing the sessions, City of Austin officials note an important fact about paperwork submission. According to Ray Marshall Center for the Study of Human Resources at UT-Ausin, 79 percent of seniors submitting their FAFSA will directly enroll in some form of post-secondary education.

The following items are necessary in answering questions on the FAFSA and Texas Application for State Financial Aid:

• List of colleges and/or universities the student is interested in attending;
• Student/parent driver’s license number and Social Security number;
• Student/parent alien registration card, if the student is a legal permanent resident;
• All student/parent/guardian 2015 tax documents, such as W2 Forms.

The first two help sessions are scheduled from 8:30 a.m. to noon at Akins High School located at 10701 S. First St. and Bowie High School, 4103 W. Slaughter Lane.

For more information, please visit financialaidsaturdays.org.