Mississippi State University’s Department of Student Financial Aid will hold an event called FAFSA Days.
The event will be on Feb. 26 and 27, and March 4 and 5.
“It’s a win-win for everyone, especially students,” Director Paul McKinney said.
An event of this kind is new for MSU, but McKinney said this type of event has worked well at previous colleges he worked at.
The purpose of the event is to reach out to the student population and help them complete their FAFSA sooner so they will not have to worry about the status of their financial aid in the fall.
There is no registration, and students can come to any day of the event. It is open to all MSU students. The event will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. each day, and will be in the first floor of the Colvard Student Union in the Dawghouse. Staff members will be outside the Union to direct students to the event.
“We are very excited to have our first FAFSA completion day,” McKinney said. “We’re hoping to have a large turnout so that students can have their FAFSA completed before the summer break.”
At the event, staff from the Financial Aid Department will be available for questions. Computers will be set up if students would like to complete their FAFSA onsite. Drinks and refreshments will be available as well.
“I think this event is a great opportunity for students to seek guidance on filing for financial aid,” junior special education major Macy Cooper said. “Filing for financial aid was always a burden for me, so I wish I had this opportunity coming through.”
The FAFSA to be filled out at the event will be the form for the 2019-2020 school year. To complete this year’s form, students will need tax information from 2017.
General knowledge handouts and contact information will be available for students to have on file. One component of the event will be learning about a tool within the FAFSA form, which is the data retrieval tool. This tool retrieves a student’s tax information directly from the IRS.
“We want to make ourselves as available as possible,” Financial Aid Counselor Sarah Grace Broom said. “And we want to make sure the students have their aid as quick as they can get it.”
The FAFSA becomes available on Oct. 1 each year. If students complete the FAFSA by April 1, their financial aid for the next school year will be more likely set up.
The purpose of the Department of Student Financial Aid is to assist students with completing the FAFSA, which is Title IV financial aid. By completing the FAFSA, determinations can be made and financial aid may be awarded.
FAFSA, which stands for ‘free application for federal student aid,’ is the federal form students fill out to determine eligibility in receiving financial aid for higher education. The FAFSA is completed each academic year.
The financial aid received from the FAFSA is categorized as a grant, so the money students receive is not required to be paid back. The amount of money a student receives is based on financial need and household income.
“I want students to have as much knowledge as they can,” Broom said. “We’ll have great outcome from it and we hope this is helpful.”