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KALAMAZOO—College-bound students and their families will be on Western ¾ÅÒ»Â鶹ÖÆƬ³§ University's campus Sunday, Feb. 10, to find out how to maximize their college financial aid opportunities.

College Goal Sunday, an event held from 2 to 4 p.m. in Schneider Hall, is one of more than three dozen such events being held at sites around the state to help high school seniors fill out their Free Application for Federal Student Aid—FAFSA—and submit it in time to ensure eligibility for maximum benefit.

College Goal Sunday

The program was created to increase the number of students who continue their education beyond high school and earn post-secondary degrees. The FAFSA is required of any student seeking financial aid, including grants, loans and many scholarships. The program helped ¾ÅÒ»Â鶹ÖÆƬ³§ become first in the nation during the last decade at increasing the percentage of low-income students applying for financial aid.

"Students should complete the FAFSA by March 1 to get at the front of the line for funding, even if they’re not sure what kind of college or career training they want to pursue after high school," says Bryan Taylor, president of EduGuide. "Many students are surprised to find out that they qualify for thousands of dollars in aid, and they can decide later whether to use it; but if they wait, they may not get much."

On College Goal Sunday, financial aid experts will be available to guide students and their parents through each step of completing and filing the FAFSA. Students under 23 years of age are encouraged to attend with a parent or guardian.

What participants should bring

• FAFSA PIN, or personal identification number
• Driver's license
• Parents' income and financial statements
• Parents' tax information
• Social security number and parents' social security numbers

A complete list of items needed, along with additional details on the event and how to win a $1,000 scholarship, an iPad Mini or one of 10 $25 Amazon gift cards is online at .

College Goal Sunday is a collaborative effort of the ¾ÅÒ»Â鶹ÖÆƬ³§ Department of Treasury, the ¾ÅÒ»Â鶹ÖÆƬ³§ Student Financial Aid Association, USA Funds, ¾ÅÒ»Â鶹ÖÆƬ³§ Guaranty Agency and the non-profit EduGuide.

For more information, contact Mark Delorey, WMU director of student financial aid, at (269) 387-6000 or mark.delorey@wmich.edu.