Money for College: It Starts with FAFSA – Free Workshops in Western New York

ALBANY, NY (01/30/2012)(readMedia)-- Local college-bound students and families are getting help completing their application for financial aid.

Through its "Start Here to Get There" campaign, taking place now through February 25, the New York State Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC) is working with financial aid professionals and other volunteers across the State to inform and educate students and families about all of the financial aid opportunities available to help them pay for college and promote the completion of the most important tool in securing financial aid, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

Together with College Goal Sunday New York, the New York State Financial Aid Administrators Association (NYSFAAA) and other partners, HESC is co-hosting workshops in Western New York to help students and families complete the FAFSA.

New Yorkers who are unable to attend an event can also get specific questions answered each Tuesday and Thursday from Noon to 5 pm by calling HESC's FAFSA Hotline at 1-800-808-1790 or emailing anytime to FAFSAHelp@hesc.org.

FAFSA events in Western New York are:

2/07/2012

4 - 8:00 p.m.

FAFSA Filing College Goal Sunday

Genesee Community College

One College Rd.

Batavia, NY 14020

Registration required. For additional information and registration, visit New York's College Goal Sunday web site at www.collegegoalsundayny.com.

2/11/2012

10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

FAFSA Filing College Goal Sunday

Falconer High School

2 East Avenue N.

Falconer, NY 14733

Registration required. For additional information and registration, visit New York's College Goal Sunday web site at www.collegegoalsundayny.com.

2/11/2012

10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

FAFSA Filing College Goal Sunday

Bennett High School

2885 Main St.

Buffalo, NY 14214

Registration required. For additional information and registration, visit New York's College Goal Sunday web site at www.collegegoalsundayny.com.

2/16/2012

3:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.

FAFSA Filing College Goal Sunday

Niagara Falls High School

4455 Porter Road

Niagara Falls, NY 14305

Registration required. For additional information and registration, visit New York's College Goal Sunday web site at www.collegegoalsundayny.com.

About HESC: HESC is New York State's student financial aid agency that helps people pay for college and a national leader in providing need-based grant and scholarship award money to college-going students. At HESC's core are programs like the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP), numerous state scholarships, the New York Higher Education Loan Program (NYHELPs), federal college access grants and a highly successful College Savings program. HESC puts college within the reach of hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers each year through programs like these and through the guidance it provides to students, families and counselors. In 2010-11, HESC helped more than 413,000 students achieve their college dreams by providing $991 million in grants, scholarships and federal student loan guarantees, including $855 million awarded through the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP).

New York's College Goal Sunday is a service project of the New York State Financial Aid Administrators Association (NYSFAAA) and the New York State Higher Education Services Corp., the State's student financial aid agency. It is funded through a generous grant from the Lumina Foundation and supported by funds from the federal College Access Challenge Grant.

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