College Goal Sunday Update: Hundreds of Families Helped!

College Goal Sunday (CGS) is a nationwide initiative to help students and families get ready to apply for college financial aid. This winter, at locations in Massachusetts and D.C., ASA volunteers helped families complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), a form that is required for students and parents seeking financing through federal grants, loans, and Work-Study.

For the first time, ASA was responsible for the facilitation of CGS in D.C., and turnout for the 2009 event saw an increase over recent years. In Massachusetts, ASA Client Manager Jeff Feroce, along with fellow Client Managers Thomas Frazier, Jayson Tinsley, Ann Lee, and Jill D'Amico, volunteered their time and expertise. According to Feroce, who attended a site in New Bedford, Mass., attendees showed increased interest in lower-cost public colleges in the face of uncertain financial times. Ann Lee, who helped at the Chestnut Hill, Mass., site, fielded many questions about how to work around the reduced values of 529 savings accounts and retirement funds. As always, the FAFSA form generated many questions. Fortunately, the team of experienced volunteers was able to answer each family on a one-on-one basis.

For more resources about the FAFSA for students and families, visit our Student Loans 101 section.