The Link

2/5/2010
IA STUDENT LOAN LIQUID. CORP.

Free Help Available for College Financial Aid

Volunteers to Help Families Fill Out FAFSA

WEST DES MOINES, IOWA (Feb. 5, 2010) - Iowa students and families can get free assistance with forms required for federal financial aid at Iowa College Goal Sunday, which is actually held on Saturday, Feb. 20, in 13 Iowa locations.

Volunteers for Iowa College Goal SundaySM will help students and their families fill out and file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) as part of a national program that helps students qualify for federal financial aid. The FAFSA, which is available in free paper and electronic forms from the U.S. Department of Education, is the first step in the qualification process.

"This program is great for anyone who has questions or wants free help with the FAFSA," said Juan Garcia, executive director of the Iowa College Access Network (ICAN) and state coordinator of the 2010 Iowa College Goal Sunday. "It's especially helpful for students who are low-income or are in the first generation of their families to attend college, or both."

This year's event will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the locations below on Saturday, Feb. 20. Students or parents may attend individually, but it's best if the student and at least one parent or guardian come together. Certain paperwork is required to fill out the forms. (See sidebar.)

* Des Moines Public Library (Downtown), 1000 Grand Ave., Des Moines

* New Iowan Center, 1231 Broadway, Suite 201, Denison

* Eastern Iowa Community College, 326 W. Third St., Davenport

* Northeast Iowa Community College, Highway 150 S., Calmar

* Grand View University, 1200 Grandview Ave., Des Moines

* Southeastern Community College, 1500 W. Agency Road, West Burlington

* Indian Hills Community College, 525 Grandview Ave., Ottumwa

* Southwestern Community College, 1501 W. Towline St., Creston

* Iowa Lakes Community College, 300 S. 18th St., Estherville

* UNI Center for Urban Education, 800 Sycamore St., Waterloo

* Kaplan University, 1751 Madison Ave., Suite 750, Council Bluffs

* Western Iowa Tech Community College, 4647 Stone Ave., Sioux City

* Kirkwood Community College, 6301 Kirkwood Blvd. S.W., Cedar Rapids

St. Ambrose University at 518 W. Locust St. in Davenport is also hosting an evening Iowa College Goal Sunday from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 17.

For more information, please visit the Iowa College Goal Sunday Web site, www.ICANsucceed.org/CGS. Details are also available from ICAN at (877) 272-4692 or CGS@ICANsucceed.org.

Iowa College Goal Sunday is part of the national College Goal SundaySM program, currently held in 37 states and funded by grants from Lumina Foundation for Education. A number of Iowa organizations have partnered to plan and present Iowa College Goal Sunday.

[Sidebar]
To complete the FAFSA, families should bring, for both the student and parent, the following:

* Social Security number, driver's license number and date of birth

* Most recent federal and state tax returns

* W-2 forms or other records of income earned last year

* Current bank statements and investment records

* Records of untaxed income received last year

* 2009 business and farm records

* Alien registration numbers if not a U.S. citizen

Students and parents may also register in advance for federal personal identification numbers (PINs) to electronically sign the forms and make future changes. To request a PIN, visit www.pin.ed.gov.
[End sidebar]

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About ICAN
ICAN is the College Access Network for Iowa, as designated by the National College Access Network (NCAN). The ICAN College Planning Centers in West Des Moines and Cedar Rapids provide free information and support to students and their families as they plan their postsecondary education and apply for financial aid. All ICAN services are free. Major funding for ICAN is provided by Iowa Student Loan(r). For more information about ICAN, call (877) 272-4692 or visit www.ICANsucceed.org.

(Contact: Rebecca Bahl, Communications and Research Specialist, 515-273-7483, rbahl@ICANsucceed.org)