On Thursday, March 1, specialists from Clark College’s Financial Aid Office, as well as representatives from local nonprofits, will be on hand to answer questions from prospective students and parents about navigating the world of financial aid.

Clark’s annual Financial Aid Night and Funding Fair provides information about Clark’s admission process, scholarship opportunities, financial aid grants and loans, how to apply, and much more.

The event will be held from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. in Gaiser Student Center on Clark College’s main campus. Clark College is located at 1933 Fort Vancouver Way, Vancouver, WA 98663. Driving directions and parking maps are available at www.clark.edu/maps.

This event is free and open to the public; it requires no advance registration or reservation. Information is available at the Clark website at http://www.clark.edu/cc/fan. If you have any additional questions, please direct them to Clark College’s Financial Aid Office in Gaiser Hall at 360-992-2153 or finaidoutreach@clark.edu.

Along with helpful presentations and one-on-one assistance, the event will include a computer lab with experts to help complete the FAFSA (federal financial aid form) and/or WASFA (state financial aid form for Dreamers). Additionally, free pizza will be served to the first 150 guests and Clark College is waiving its standard application fee for anyone who applies to the college that night.

Organizers recommend bringing the following items to the event:

• 2017 tax information or return
• Social Security Number and/or Alien Registration Number
• Records of untaxed income
• Cash, savings, and checking account balances
• Investments other than the home in which you live

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

Photo: Clark College/Jenny Shadley

On Wednesday, December 7, specialists from Clark College’s Financial Aid Office will be on hand to answer questions from prospective students and parents about navigating the world of financial aid.

Clark’s annual Financial Aid Information Night provides information about Clark’s admission process, scholarship opportunities, financial aid grants and loans, how to apply, and much more.

The event will be held from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Clark College’s main campus in Gaiser Student Center. Clark College is located at 1933 Fort Vancouver Way, Vancouver, WA 98663. Driving directions and parking maps are available at www.clark.edu/maps.

This event is free and open to the public; it requires no advance registration or reservation. Information is available at the Clark website at http://www.clark.edu/cc/fan. If you have any additional questions, please direct them to Clark College’s Financial Aid Office in Gaiser Hall at 360-992-2153 or finaid@clark.edu.

Event Schedule:

• 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.: Open House
• 6:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.: Financial Aid Presentation by Chippi Bello, Clark College Associate Dean of Financial Aid
• 7:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.: Question-and-Answer Session

If you need accommodation due to a disability in order to fully participate in this event, you 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.

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.

WSUV’s Butch T. Cougar and Clark’s own Oswald the Penguin, as well as volunteers and Student Ambassadors from Clark College, were on hand to greet guests at College Goal Washington. Photo: Matthew Hunt/Doghouse Graphics.

On January 26, Clark College hosted a College Goal Washington event in Gaiser Student Center, attracting approximately 250 guests–more than any other such event in Southwest Washington.

College Goal Washington (also called “College Goal Sunday”) is a state-based volunteer program that provides free information and assistance to students and families who are applying for financial aid for post-secondary education. Financial aid specialists from both Clark College and Washington State University Vancouver were on hand to help families fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Volunteers were able to provide assistance in both Spanish and Russian, as well as in English.

The afternoon-long event included three break-out sessions: “Getting to College & Succeeding,” “Financial Aid 101,” and “Scholarships.” Translation into Spanish and Russian was also provided for these sessions.

Financial Aid Program Coordinator Kendra Graham contributed this article.