Free Financial Aid Advice

WSUV’s Butch the Cougar and Clark’s Oswald the Penguin help Student Ambassadors greet guests at the 2013 College Goal Washington event.

Clark College and Washington State University Vancouver will again team up to host College Goal Washington, a free annual event that helps students and families complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), the form required to apply for federal financial assistance for higher education. The event will be held in Scarpelli Hall on Clark College’s main campus at 11:00 a.m. on Jan. 24.

Clark College and Washington State University Vancouver’s College Goal Washington is the largest of its kind in the state.

New this year, the event will also cover the Washington Application for State Financial Aid (WASFA), the new form created through Washington’s Real HOPE Act that allows certain low-income, non-citizen students to apply for state financial aid. Spanish and Russian interpreters will be available. “Because the law was passed recently, there is confusion and uncertainty about how it works and who is eligible to apply,” explained Karen Driscoll, director of financial aid at Clark College. “We are committed to helping our community’s students and their families understand their financial aid options.”

The event is open to all students and families, no matter where a student plans to go to school. Whether a student chooses a four-year college, community college, vocational or technical school, College Goal Washington can help make education more affordable. The FAFSA is considered the gateway to accessing financial aid resources such as federal and state grants, school loans, and scholarships.

Family financial information is a key part of completing the form, so students and parents are encouraged to attend together. Typically the FAFSA form takes about 45 minutes to complete.

In addition to computer labs for completing the FAFSA, College Goal Washington will offer a brief welcome presentation and helpful workshops: “Getting to College & Succeeding,” “Financial Aid 101” and “Scholarships.”

Clark College is located at 1933 Fort Vancouver Way, close to downtown Vancouver. Parking is free and widely available in the Orange Lot next to Scarpelli Hall. Maps and directions are available online.

Individuals who need accommodation due to a disability in order to fully participate in this event should contact Clark College’s Disability Support Services Office at 360-992-2314 or 360-991-0901 (VP), or visit Penguin Union Building room 013 as soon as possible.

For more information about College Goal Washington, visit http://www.clark.edu/enroll/paying-for-college/events.php or call 360-992-2153.