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January 16, 2009
PORTLAND – Portland State Reps. Anne Haskell, Peter Stuckey and Steve Lovejoy announced this week that College Goal Sunday 2009 will take place at 2 p.m. Jan. 25 in the Hannaford Lecture Hall in Abromson Center at the University of Southern Maine. The Democratic representatives urged students planning to go to college in the fall to attend the event.
“The financial aid application process can be very difficult,” said Stuckey. “As a student, I remember thinking I should get college credit just for figuring out how to file the forms.”
College Goal Sunday is a volunteer program coordinated by the Finance Authority of Maine (FAME). The program provides free assistance to students applying for financial aid to attend technical and community colleges and universities. In order to qualify for financial aid, students must file a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The Portland program is one of 20 College Goal Sunday events happening throughout the state.
At the Sunday seminar, FAME will provide staff to walk prospective students through the FAFSA line by line, and answer any questions regarding state and federal financial aid programs. Attendees should bring copies of their most recent tax information. Attendees can also enter to win a $500 scholarship.
“I strongly encourage any students applying for college to attend the FAME seminar,” said Lovejoy. “This event takes a lot of the confusion out of the financial aid application process.”
If you are unable to attend this event, you can file your FAFSA online at FAFSA. Be cautious using other Web sites with FAFSA in the name, as many charge for assistance in filling out the forms.
For more information on College Goal Sunday and other higher education resources, contact Rep. Stuckey at 773-3345, Rep. Haskell at 871-5808 or Rep. Lovejoy at 773-5538. You can find more information about College Goal Sunday, including a list of locations, at College Goal Sunday.
More information on the Opportunity Maine Program can be found at Opportunity Maine.
Contact:
Rep. Anne Haskell, 871-5808
Rep. Peter Stuckey, 773-3345
Rep. Steve Lovejoy, 773-5538
Kyle Leighton, communications director, 287-1433