College Goal Sunday
November 5th is College Goal Sunday in Louisiana
Louisiana’s eleventh annual College Goal Sunday events will be held on Sunday, November 5, 2017, from 1:30- 4:00 p.m. at fourteen locations around the state.
The purpose of College Goal Sunday is to provide students and their families with free professional assistance in completing the primary student financial aid form, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
Completing the FAFSA is the first step to take in order to receive most forms of federal student aid including Pell Grants, low-interest federal student loans, and to participate in the federal Work Study program. In addition, several state student financial aid programs, including the Taylor Opportunity Program for Students (TOPS) scholarship program and the Louisiana Go Grant need-based aid program, require completion of the FAFSA in order to qualify for and access funds. Many campus-based institutional scholarships also require completion of the FAFSA.
College Goal Sunday is a national initiative designed to help students and parents navigate the paperwork barriers that stand between them and the money they need to attend college. Completing the form correctly with detailed income, tax and other information can be a daunting task. On College Goal Sunday, financial aid professionals from Louisiana colleges and universities will be on hand to provide free line-by-line assistance.
Anyone, from a soon-to-be high school graduate to a returning adult student, who is planning to attend any postsecondary institution that participates in the Federal Title IV Aid programs during the 2018-2019 academic year can benefit from attendance. This includes public, private, technical, community, proprietary and career colleges.
Pre-registration for the event is encouraged to ensure that each site has the resources needed to assist all participants. To do so, log on to www.osfa.la.gov and click the on College Goal Sunday link. The website also contains detailed information including the specific records and documentation that participants will need to bring to the event including their 2016 Federal Income Tax information.
Doors will open at each site at 1:30 p.m. and the program will begin promptly at 2:00 p.m. Attendees are advised to arrive in time to sign in and be seated prior to 2:00 p.m.
IMPORTANT
Both the student and a parent must have a Federal Student Aid ID (FSAID) in order to electronically sign their completed FAFSA. Students and parents planning to attend a College Goal Sunday event, or to file a FAFSA at a later time, can save time by applying in advance for an FSAID at https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/fafsa/filling-out/fsaid. For assistance in completing the FSAID request, contact LOSFA at custserv@la.gov or 800-259-5626.
College Goal Sunday in Louisiana is co-sponsored by the Louisiana Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (LASFAA) and the Louisiana Office of Student Financial Assistance (LOSFA).
In addition to FAFSA completion assistance and information on federal and state aid programs, College Goal Sunday attendees will have the opportunity to learn about several related topics.
LOSFA staff will be in attendance at all sites to explain the TOPS processing cycle and to answer any questions relating to TOPS and other state aid programs.
Also, the Louisiana Jump$tart Coalition will have representatives present at the Baton Rouge Community College and Southern University Baton Rouge sites to provide financial literacy information to attendees.
College Goal Sunday is a registered trademark of the National College Access Network (NCAN).
The fourteen 2017 College Goal Sunday site locations in Louisiana are:
Alexandria
LSU Alexandria at the Barbara Brumfield Caffey Annex Ballroom
Baton Rouge
Baton Rouge Community College* Mid-City Campus, Bienvenue Student Center Dining Area
*Doors open for registration at 1:00 p.m. at the Baton Rouge Community College site only
Southern University Baton Rouge in the Multipurpose room – T.H. Harris Annex Building, Room 118
Bossier City
Bossier Parish Community College in Building D, Room 215
Hammond
Southeastern Louisiana University in Fayard Hall- Main Lobby
Lafayette
University of Louisiana Lafayette in Moody Hall
Lake Charles
SOWELA in the Sycamore Student Center Building
Monroe
Louisiana Delta Community College 7500 Millhaven Road in the Louisiana Purchase Building (LPB) Room 310
New Orleans
Dillard University at DUICEF Hall Room 106
Southern University New Orleans at the College of Business, Room 100
Xavier University in Convocation Center Annex, Building 62, Room 111
Schriever
Fletcher Technical Community College the Main Campus – 1407 Highway 311 Rooms 104 & 129
Shreveport
Louisiana State University – Shreveport in the University Center Ballroom (Second Floor)
Southern University – Shreveport at Jesse Stone Lecture Hall
For more information, contact LOSFA at 1-800-259-5626 or visit us online at www.osfa.la.gov.