Financial aid workshops clarify FAFSA

Financial aid officials respond to the growing need for assistance with the Free Application for Federal Student Aid [FAFSA] by offering a series of workshops aimed at getting students the most bang for their buck, according to financial aid counselor Stephanie Brock. The first workshop was held Wednesday, and another workshop is planned for March 4. It will be held in the financial aid office, which is located in Hooper Hall, room 101, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Students can drop by at their convenience throughout the day, according to information provided by the financial aid office. Brock said they should expect to spend 20 to 30 minutes filling out the information.

Brock said students and parents of dependant students should apply for a Federal Student PIN before attending the workshop. They can obtain a PIN online at www.pin.ed.gov.

A current tax return is also necessary to fill out the full FAFSA application, but Brock said she encourages students to come to the workshops with whatever information they have so they can at least get started.

The financial aid office has offered similar workshops for the past two years. The previous workshops have included a lecture, but the events for this year are slightly different.

"The last year was more of financial aid awareness, but after it was over we had a lot of students asking about the FAFSA workshops after they had heard about it from their friends, so we expect more this year," Brock said.

DiAnna Prather, Kingsport Tenn. alumni, was one of the students who attended last year's lecture and workshop.

"I remember we had to sit in this big room while they basically told us that the only way to avoid filling out your FAFSA was to die or go to jail," Prather said.

This year there is no lecture, only a workshop where students can obtain help with actually fill out the form, Brock said.

Another chance to get help with the FAFSA is College Goal Sunday, a nation-wide financial aid workshop to be hosted by UTC. It is scheduled to take place Feb. 22 at Chattanooga State University from 2 p.m. until 4 p.m.

Brock said she does not dread filling out the forms at the workshops.

"They're really kind of energizing for us to get to put a face with the names and interact with the students," Brock said.

"We wanted to be a student-friendly office," she said.

Brock said students should be aware that the sooner they fill out their FAFSA, the more money they could be eligible for, especially if they are eligible for a Pell Grant.

"If a student is Pell Grant eligible, they might be eligible for the Tennessee State Grant," Brock said.

"But the state runs out of money around the end of February," she said.