There will be a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)  meeting in room E131 Tuesday from  5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. to help students fill out the form. 

“It is free money from the government,” CTC instructor Dana Palen said. “It allows the government to see how much your family can contribute to your education financially. Then it plugs it into an algorithm, and based on the outcomes of that algorithm the government will determine how much they can contribute to your education.”

Anybody can apply for FAFSA and it lasts for four years until a Bachelor’s degree is earned. Applications are open every October and they can be filled out any time, not only at the meeting.

“It is very important to fill out because it not only gets you ready for college as far as mind-set goes, but is also kind of an eye opener for seniors to see that it is possible for them to go to college,” Palen said.

The money from FAFSA does not need to be paid back and is available to all seniors.

“I’m filling out FAFSA to help out my family with college-spending, and while I have Hazelwood and access to scholarships, FAFSA is a really easy, accessible and assured way to get college funding for low-income students,” senior Brenden Burke said.