Helping students and their parents learn more about the funding that is available for higher education is the aim of events this month to be hosted by Tusculum College at six high schools in Greene and Washington counties.
The Financial Aid staff from Tusculum will be traveling to each of the high schools to help students and their parents learn more about scholarships and loans that are available to individuals continuing their education at a college or university.
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.
Events are scheduled Jan. 17, 23, 24, 26, and 31. The Financial Aid staff will be at West Greene High School from 3 to 6 p.m. on Jan. 17. The next FAFSA Frenzy will be at Chuckey-Doak from 5 -7 p.m. on Jan. 23.
Two different events are scheduled for Jan. 24. Members of the Financial Aid staff will be at David Crockett and at Greeneville High from 5 – 7 p.m. Earlier in the day at David Crockett High School, students will have a chance to learn about various colleges in the region during a College Fair.
On Jan. 26, FAFSA Frenzy will be held at South Greene from 4 – 6 p.m. The events conclude at North Greene on Jan. 31 from 5 – 7 p.m. In case of school closures due to inclement weather on any of those 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.
“The financial aid process can appear daunting for students and parents who are new to the process, and we want to help all families with the necessary steps they need to take to obtain the financial aid they need,” said Melissa Ripley, director of admission and chief GED administrator at Tusculum College. “The college is pleased to be able to provide this resource to our community, to share the expertise of the Financial Aid staff with parents and students, and help them learn more about the variety of funding available.”
Students and parents are encouraged to bring their 2011 tax returns and receive assistance in filling out the FASFA during the event. If the 2011 federal income tax return is unavailable, the 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.