Officials in West Virginia University’s Financial Aid Office are urging students and their parents to file their 2010-11 Free Application for Federal Student Aid as soon as possible.
“It is imperative that students file their FAFSAs no later than the March 1 deadline to be eligible for the maximum financial aid consideration for the upcoming school year. Do it now, don’t wait,” said Kaye Widney, director of WVU’s Financial Aid Office.
During the office’s annual Financial Aid Awareness Week, held Feb. 15-21, help will be offered for students and parents with questions regarding the FAFSA and other financial aid.
A booth will be set up in the Mountainlair on Monday, Feb. 15, Tuesday, Feb. 16, Thursday, Feb. 18 and Friday, Feb. 19 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Representatives from WVU’s Financial Aid Office will be at the booth to answer questions and assist students with the process.
Also, on Thursday, Feb. 18, the Financial Aid Office will have a webinar at 7 p.m. on “Financing Your Education at WVU.” Presenters will address sources of financial aid, application and award notification processes and payment options. Participants will have an opportunity to submit questions during the webinar.
To register for the webinar, go to www.finaid.wvu.edu and click on the link located under “News You Can Use.” After registering you will receive a confirmation e-mail with login instructions. The session will also be recorded and available on the WVU Financial Aid Office Web site after Feb. 18.
On Sunday, Feb. 21, the office will host the state sponsored College Goal Sunday. During the event, financial aid professionals will be available to assist with filing the FAFSA. The event will be held from 1-5 p.m. in the Rhododendron Room of the Mountainlair.
An inclement weather date has been set for Thursday, Feb. 25 from 4-8 p.m.
“Parents and students do not have to wait until their taxes are completed before they file their FAFSA,” Widney said. “They can estimate the figures and make corrections after the tax information is filed.”
Students and parents who need assistance completing the FAFSA can also obtain information from the experts at Federal Student Aid Programs at 1-800-4FED-AID, or they can call the WVU Financial Aid Office at 304-293-5242.
In addition to completing the FAFSA , students are encouraged to look for outside scholarships by logging onto free Internet search sites such as http://www.fastweb.com . Students may also inquire about departmental scholarships within their individual colleges or schools, Widney said.
The FAFSA can be filed online at http://www.fafsa.ed.gov and signed electronically with a federal PIN number that can be obtained at http://www.pin.ed.gov .
-WVU-
cd/02/10/10
CONTACT: Kaye Widney, Financial Aid Office
304-293-2831, Kaye.Widney@mail.wvu.edu