[View ALL News Press Releases] College Goal Sunday, a statewide charitable program providing free information and assistance to families applying for college financial aid, will take place at 2 p.m., Sunday, January 25, at 20 sites in 19 Kentucky communities, including Elizabethtown Community and Technical College. Participants at ECTC should go to room 203 in the Occupational/Technical Building. At College Goal Sunday, financial aid professionals from Kentucky colleges and universities will help students and families complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), regardless of which college or university they plan to attend. The FAFSA is the financial aid form required to receive federal aid by most colleges, universities and technical schools nationwide. The program is open not only to high school seniors but also to adults who are planning to attend college. College Goal Sunday is sponsored by the Kentucky Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (KASFAA). It is funded by Lumina Foundation for Education, The Student Loan People and the Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority (KHEAA). Almost every college, university and technical school requires students to fill out the FAFSA as part of the eligibility requirement. More importantly, the FAFSA enables students to receive a variety of grants and loans that would otherwise be out of reach. In Kentucky, seven grant and scholarship programs help approximately 57,000 students every year. Students who file the FAFSA as soon as possible after January 1 have the best chance of receiving these funds. What to bring to College Goal Sunday Students are encouraged to attend College Goal Sunday with their parent or guardian. They should bring their parents' completed 2008 IRS 1040 tax return and any other 2008 income and benefits information. If families haven't completed their taxes, financial aid professionals will be able to help fill out the rest of the FAFSA form and give instructions for the financial portion. Everything elsepens, pencils and FAFSA forms - will be provided.

According to KHEAA, participation in state grant programs more than quadrupled since the 1990s. In the 2007-2008 academic year, KHEAA awarded approximately $189 million in higher education grants and scholarships to more than 120,800 students.

For more information about College Goal Sunday, call toll-free, 1-888-4-KASFAA (1-888-452-7322). Or call ECTC at 270-706-8802 for local information. -30-

The College Goal SundaySM program was created by the Indiana Student Financial Aid Association with funding from Lilly Endowment, Inc., and with supplemental support from the Lumina Foundation for Education.

For Calendar of Events:

What: College Goal Sunday When: Sunday, January 25, 2 p.m. Where: Elizabethtown Community and Technical College, Occupational/Technical Building, Room 203 For students and families who want free information and assistance in filling out college financial aid forms. Bring completed 2008 tax returns or tax information if returns are not complete. POC: ECTC Financial Aid Office - 270-706-8802