NOBLESVILLE — With college costs continuing to rise, Hoosier families across Indiana got some extra help navigating one of the most important steps in paying for higher education — completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA.
The statewide College Goal Sunday event offered free assistance at 34 locations across Indiana, helping students and parents fill out the federal form that determines eligibility for grants, scholarships and loans.
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WRTV stopped by Ivy Tech's campus in Noblesville and talked to high school student Sophia Bryant, who attended the event with her dad.
“I already know what I want to major in,” Bryant said. “I want to do linguistics.”
Other families, like mother, Nicole Topps, said she wanted reassurance as her family goes through the college process for the first time.
“I just wanted to get help,” Topps said. “First child going to college — we have some information about the process, but I just wanted to make sure we were doing everything right.”
Families received one-on-one help from financial aid experts, something organizers say can make a big difference.
Greg Bryant, Sophia’s father, said the session simplified a process that often feels overwhelming and complicated in years past.
“We were really confused,” he said. “We decided to come out and hopefully make it easy, which they did. Took like five minutes.”
Bill Wozniak, co-chair of College Goal Sunday, said this year’s FAFSA rollout went smoother than in previous years.
“The biggest change in the FAFSA this year is that it’s working — and it’s working well,” Wozniak said. “It doesn’t sound like a big deal, but in the last few years, the FAFSA has been having glitches and problems."
Wozniak says completing the form is essential for anyone seeking financial aid.
“In most cases, families receive some aid, and if they don’t file the FAFSA, they’re going to leave themselves out of that aid,” he said.
Since it began more than 30 years ago, College Goal Sunday has helped nearly 100,000 Hoosier families complete the FAFSA.
The Indiana state deadline to submit the FAFSA is April 15, though many colleges have earlier deadlines.
Students are encouraged to check with each school they plan to apply to.
