“What we do in these workshops is help students and families fill out their FAFSA. You don’t have to be an Ancilla student to come in for help; you don’t have to be planning to attend Ancilla in August of 2014. This is a community service for us and we make our financial aid and admissions staffs available to anyone to help them fill out this process,” Brown said.
Brown said it is vital you bring your tax information, savings and checking account balance information and a driver’s license in order to receive help with FAFSA filing. The process, he said, could take as little as 45 minutes.
“It’s not a two-minute clickity-click,” Brown said, “but it’s not overwhelming. It may seem that way at times, but it’s not.”
The July 2014 – June 2015 school year is coming up, and Brown said anyone who is planning to attend school any time during that period who needs financial aid must apply by March 10.
Even if you aren’t sure whether or not you will attend school during that period, apply anyway; Brown said it helps to keep your options open.
“Even if there’s a one percent chance that you’ll change your mind, even for reasons you don’t see right now, you’ll have kept open your options. It’s free – Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Free, free, free – just costs you a little bit of time. Get it filed. It doesn’t hurt,” said Brown.
There is no obligation, Brown said, and each FAFSA form is only good for one school year.
For more information, call Brown at (574) 936-8898 or send him an email at mike.brown@ancilla.edu.
