Last day to apply for scholarships is March 1st
This is the second year for JSU and the state of Alabama to hold Alabama College Goal Sunday. This is a nationwide program sponsored by the Lumina foundation through a grant through the YMCA. The YMCA in Birmingham applied for the grant and received for the first time last year. Stephanie Miller is the state coordinator and JSU continues to still be a site for this program.
Stephanie Miller gives incite to the program, “I think it’s a great program because it helps the community not to be afraid of the filing process that you know there is someone there to help them. Some don’t know what’s available and some don’t have access. In today’s society, we think everyone has a smart phone, everyone has access to a computer, and some live in areas where the internet is not readily available. So the goal of Alabama College Goal Sunday is to help all students in the state of Alabama file a fafsa form, it is free, and there are people that are here to help”.
The program is set up across the state not only in Alabama but in Tennessee, Florida and it’s a time when financial aid professionals come together and we try to reach people, parents, and students that need help filing for financial aid, what the process is, give them information. Whether they decide to come to JSU or not this is the foundation for applying for any federal aid at any school.
Vicki Adams says, “We have labs set up so that we can take these parents and students that want to apply for the fafsa, a free application, we will get it done today, and they can put up to 10 universities or colleges on the electronic app and just a good time to reach out.”
The program proves to be helpful. A survey said it was a great opportunity for the parents to come in because it may be special circumstances and at least with a financial aid counselor parents can sit and talk with that counselor and walk them through that process. There are parents that are not working any longer or parents that were married this past year that are not married now and we help them get through the application process.
Adams adds, “The application, of course, we have been doing it for so long...I could imagine a new person sitting down to that application could be mind boggling”.
One family that showed up Sunday has two daughters that received scholarships from JSU. The girls say JSU gave them a better offer than anywhere else.
Dr. William A. Meehan states, “It’s our opportunity to tell you all about financial aid. It’s not about coming to JSU particularly. We want to make sure you have all the information you need to make a wise decision about financial aid and going to college. There is no reason in today’s economy, even though college is very expensive, that you cannot afford to go to college… I think it’s a great opportunity for folks that want to know more about college and financial aid opportunities. It’s not about JSU it’s about helping families and having students have access to college. Financial aid is very important because college has become more expensive through the years”.
It’s a free process. Some fafsa websites will charge you $80, so make sure if a site asks for your credit information log out and go to fafsa.gov. Apply as early as possible. Start taxes early and once they are filed start the fafsa process.
Parents are helped to get Pin numbers. A pin can be deactivated if it were ever compromised. Follow up with the school’s financial aid office for any additional information that is needed.
The professional financial aid staff included Stephanie Miller, Vickie Adams, Marian Bryant, and Donna just to name a few.
The student ambassadors show their support for incomers to lend a hand to get started at JSU.
Student ambassador, Morgan Cox says,” it can be a complicated process and having these people here to take time out of their weekend to come help students and teach….I think it means a lot to people”.
Another student ambassador, Jordan Vickers, adds, “It simplifies things”.
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