New York's College Goal Sunday Scores Touchdown

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Troy High School was one of 17 sites across the state helping high school seniors complete the FAFSA.

ALBANY, NY (02/11/2009)(readMedia)-- Hundreds of high school seniors at each of 17 locations across the state filed their federal financial aid applications electronically recently at New York's College Goal Sunday event.

The New York State Higher Education Services Corp. (HESC), the state agency that helps people pay for college, co-sponsored the local event with the New York State Financial Aid Administrators Association. New York College Goal Sunday events were held to help students and families complete their Free Application for Federal Student Aid, better known as the FAFSA. Completing the FAFSA is the key to opening the door to college financial aid from federal, state and college sources.

Vaughn Hunter, a senior at Troy High School in Troy, New York noted that "being the first in my family to go to college, the whole experience is overwhelming, but I'm excited to be going [to college]," he said.

Hunter, who plans to attend either SUNY-IT or the University at Buffalo as a computer science major added, "College Goal Sunday was really good - [filing the FAFSA] was a lot easier this way and was the last thing I needed to do, so now I'm all set."

HESC's cutting-edge computer process allowed students to complete their FAFSA and their application for the New York State Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) in one Web session. TAP, New York's largest grant program, helps eligible New York residents pay tuition at approved schools in New York State. Depending on the academic year in which study begins, an annual TAP award can be up to $5,000. Because TAP is a grant, it does not have to be paid back.

Student information contained in the FAFSA is used to pre-fill the online TAP application. This seamless procedure, the only one of its kind in the nation, simplifies the financial aid process and dramatically reduces errors, which speeds the application process for thousands of New York State students each year.

New York State college-bound students and their families are encouraged to visit the HESC Web site (www.hesc.org) to learn more about applying for financial aid, completing the FAFSA and TAP applications and other resources, including interactive career, college and scholarship search programs.

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