PMC One of 11 Locations for
College Goal Sunday^SM

February 13, 2005 • 2:00 p.m.

Massachusetts College Goal Sunday Eases
the Financial Aid Process for the State's Students

Boston, MA - Students face many challenges when pursuing opportunities for higher education. The financial burden–real or perceived–is an obstacle that deters too many prospective college applicants. To help more students–especially those in lower income families and first-generation college applicants–successfully work their way through the financial aid application process, the first Massachusetts College Goal Sunday will take place on February 13, 2005 at 11 locations around Massachusetts. College Goal Sunday is made possible by a grant from Lumina Foundation for Education and is administered by the Massachusetts Association of Financial Aid Administrators (MASFAA).

“College Goal Sunday is a critical program to ensure Massachusetts remains a haven for higher education by making the financial aid process more accessible and easing the way for students to attend college,” said Sherri Culp, co-chair of Massachusetts College Goal Sunday. “This program takes the fear out of paying for college by providing students and their families access to knowledgeable volunteers who will help high school seniors successfully navigate the financial aid process.”

College Goal Sunday is a free-to-the-public, charitable effort to bring families of college-bound students together with financial aid professionals to eliminate the information gap on the availability of financial aid for low-income families and first-generation college applicants. The Massachusetts mission is to:

• Provide free on-site help to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), the federally required form for seeking financial aid
  
  
• Educate low-income and first-generation students that college is a viable option after high school
  
  
• Increase the number and quality of FAFSAs filed in Massachusetts, and ultimately the amount of financial aid provided to the state’s students

This one-day event will help college-bound students take the first step in applying for college by participating in a two-hour moderated session that will lead to a completed FAFSA. Financial aid professionals from colleges and universities all over the state; together with partners and sponsors interested in helping students, will be on hand to assist families. Each College Goal Sunday site will offer detailed instruction in completing the FAFSA, educational prize drawings, giveaways and one-on-one assistance from financial aid experts.

Massachusetts College Goal Sunday will be held at the following locations:
• Barnstable: Cape Cod Community College
• Boston: Northeastern University
• Brockton: Brockton High School
• Chelsea: Roca
• Chestnut Hill: Pine Manor College
• Fall River: Bristol Community College
• Fitchburg: Wallace Civic Center
• Lowell: Middlesex Community College
• Pittsfield: Berkshire Mall
• Springfield: Basketball Hall of Fame
• Worcester: Quinsigamond Community College

“Thanks to the generosity of the college financial aid officers in Massachusetts, students throughout the state can get free professional help in filling out their aid applications. Correctly completing the application ensures that students receive the aid they qualify for,” said Senator Edward M. Kennedy. “It’s a service that fills an obvious major need–and hopefully the 11 centers won’t be nearly enough to meet it!”

For more information about Massachusetts College Goal Sunday, please visit at www.masscollegegoalsunday.org.

The College Goal Sunday^SM program was created by the Indiana Student Financial Aid Association with funding from Lilly endowment Inc; and with supplemental support from Lumina Foundation for Education;