Financial aid professionals will be on site at Purdue University Northwest’s (PNW) Hammond and Westville campuses during free College Goal Sunday programs on Feb. 26 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. CST to help college-bound students and their families apply for financial aid.
College Goal Sunday programs provide assistance to students in filing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The FAFSA form is required for students to be considered for federal and state grants, scholarships and federal loans at most colleges, universities and vocational/technical schools nationwide.
The FAFSA must be completed and filed by the state of Indiana priority deadline of April 15, 2023 to guarantee state aid for those that qualify.
“Filing a FAFSA is one of the most important things students can do to get assistance to help pay for college,” said Tanika House, assistant director of Financial Aid at PNW. “Completing the FAFSA may be challenging; however, hosting College Goal Sunday at PNW allows my team and I to provide free filing assistance to students and their families.”
The Hammond campus event will be in Room 200 of the Student Union and Library Building, 2233 173rd St, Hammond, IN. The Westville campus event will be in Room 219 of the Technology Building, 1401 S. U.S. 421, Westville, IN. Financial aid professionals will be available at both locations to answer questions and help students complete and file the form.
Students age 23 or younger should attend the event with a parent(s) or guardian(s), and parent(s) should bring completed 2021 IRS 1040 tax returns, W-2 Forms and other 2021 income and benefits information. Students who work should also bring their income information. Students 24 years of age or older may attend alone and bring their completed 2021 IRS 1040 tax return, W-2 Form or other 2021 income and benefits information.
College Goal Sunday can help 21st Century Scholars fulfill their pledge to submit a completed FAFSA form on time. 21st Century Scholars are income-eligible students who sign a contract in middle school promising they will graduate from high school, meet grade point requirements, fulfill a pledge of good citizenship and apply for college financial aid. Scholars who have fulfilled the commitment and demonstrate financial need receive state funds to help cover their college tuition and fees for up to eight semesters at eligible Indiana public colleges or an equal dollar amount at eligible Indiana private colleges.
Students who attend College Goal Sunday and submit a completed evaluation form will automatically be entered into a drawing to win one of five $1,000 College Goal Sunday scholarships. The winners will be notified in spring and scholarships will be sent directly to the higher education institution selected by the winning students.
“If you think attending college is costly, think again,” said House. “Applying for financial aid can open additional scholarship opportunities that may not be based on financial need.”
“We hope all Hoosiers take advantage of College Goal Sunday, file the FAFSA, and get one step closer to fulfilling their educational goals,” said Bill Wozniak, co-chair of College Goal Sunday. “If our assistance gives students a better chance at education beyond high school and less debt, we’re fulfilling our mission.”
College Goal Sunday is a charitable program of the Indiana Student Financial Aid Association (ISFAA). The program, in its 34th year, has helped more than 94,000 Indiana students and families complete the FAFSA properly and on time.
For additional information on paying for college, visit pnw.edu/paying-for-college, email the Office of Financial Aid at finaid@pnw.edu, or call the offices at 219-989-2301 (Hammond) or 219-785-5460 (Westville). For more information on College Goal Sunday, visit the College Goal Sunday website.
