High school students and their families have a variety of options available to help fund a college education, and Tusculum College is hosting events in January to help families learn more about the financial aid process.
As a community service, the Financial Aid staff will host “FAFSA Frenzy” events to provide free assistance to students and their parents in filling out the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) forms as well as providing general information about financial aid for college. The events are open to all high school students, not only those who may be interested in attending Tusculum.
Events are scheduled Jan. 8, 10, 17, 24 and 28. The first FAFSA Frenzy will be at South Greene High School from 3-6 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 8. The next event is scheduled at Greeneville High School from 5-7 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 10.
Members of the Financial Aid staff will be at North Greene High school from 5-7 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 17. On Thursday, Jan. 24, FAFSA Frenzy will be held from 4-6 p.m. at West Greene High School. FAFSA Frenzy will conclude on Monday, Jan. 28, with an event from 5-7 p.m. at Chuckey-Doak High School.
In case of school closures due to inclement weather on any of these days, the events will be rescheduled.
Whichever event they attend, students and their families are welcome to drop in anytime during the scheduled period to receive assistance.
“Preparing for college can appear quite challenging for students and parents who are new to the process, and we want to help families in our community learn about their options and take the necessary steps to obtain the financial aid needed,” said Melissa Ripley, director of Admission at the college. “Tusculum College is pleased to provide this service to our community and share the expertise of our Financial Staff with students and their parents as they prepare for an important step in their lives.”
Students and parents are encouraged to bring their 2012 tax returns and receive assistance in filling out the FASFA during the event. If they do not have their 2012 tax return, students and parents should bring their year-end paystubs, w-2 forms, and the previous year’s federal income tax return.
FAFSA forms are used to determine eligibility for federal and state funds such as Pell grants, Stafford loans, PLUS loans and work-study programs, and must be completed each academic year for which a student wishes to seek aid.
Students and parents are encouraged to apply for financial aid as soon as possible. Individuals can apply for aid for the upcoming year as early as January 1. Tusculum’s Financial Aid Office recommends that students apply prior to February 1 to assure that their applications will be considered for aid types that typically become limited or exhausted long before school begins in August.
For more information about FAFSA Frenzy, please contact Ripley at 636-7374 or mripley@tusculum.edu or contact one of our Financial Aid counselors at 636-7377 or financialaid@tusculum.edu.