What is College Goal Sunday?

College Goal Sunday is a non-profit program that provides free information and assistance to Mississippi families applying for financial assistance for higher education. College Goal Sunday mobilizes financial aid professionals from Mississippi colleges and universities to help families of college-bound students complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), the federally required form for students seeking financial aid, including grants and loans, throughout the nation.

When is College Goal Sunday?

The state's College Goal Sunday event will take place over a 10-day period from February 19 to February 29, 2012 at 9:00 am at many locations around Mississippi.

Who should participate in College Goal Sunday?

All students who are anticipating attending college should attend this event, especially, students and families who need assistance in applying for financial aid to attend college must not miss College Goal Sunday. Adult students entering college are also encouraged to attend.

Why is College Goal Sunday important?

This event will help families of college-bound students take the first step in applying for college by going step by step through the FAFSA that will lead to a completed financial aid form for the student.

Who Supports College Goal Sunday?

The Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning, along with the GEAR UP Mississippi Program, Education Service Foundation and USAFunds helps to support College Goal Sunday in Mississippi.
Funding for this program comes in part from Lumina Foundation for Education, an Indianapolis based, private, independent foundation that strives to help people achieve their potential by expanding access and success in education beyond high school. Through research, grants for innovative programs and communication initiatives, Lumina Foundation addresses issues surrounding financial access and educational retention and degree of certificate attainment – particularly among underserved student groups, including adult learners. The foundation bases its mission on the belief that postsecondary education remains one of the most beneficial investments that individuals can make in themselves and that society can make in its people.

What do I need to bring?

If available, students and their parents should bring:
• Copy of your and your parents’ federal tax returns 1040, 1040EZ, 1040A,
• Your and your parents’ driver’s license and Social Security numbers and birthdates
• Your and your parents’ W-2 Forms and other records of money earned,
• Current bank statements or an amount of your and your parents’ cash, savings and checking accounts,
• Current business information,
• Total amount of investments not in retirement accounts,
• Your alien registration card (if you are not a U.S. citizen),
• Date of your parents’ marriage, divorce or separation.

Do students need to register?

In order to provide the best possible service to students now and in the future, we ask that students register online at www.mscollegegoalsunday.org.

What if I cannot attend College Goal Sunday or would like more assistance after February 26, 2011?

Students and families who need additional assistance in completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or who are looking for more resources on financial aid should visit their local univeristy or community college office of finanacial aid.

What if I am not sure whether or not I am going to college?

Many students are not sure if they will be attending right after high school or have been out of high school for some time. By filling out the FAFSA there is no obligation to attend, however, by completing the FAFSA form deadlines will not be missed if the student decides to apply to college later in the year.

In 1989, the <a href="http://www.isfaa.org/" target="_blank" class="link">Indiana Student Financial Aid Association (ISFAA)</a> and the <a href="http://www.in.gov/ssaci/" target="_blank" class="link">State Student Assistance Commission of Indiana (SSACI)</a> started the program now known as “College Goal Sunday.” The financial aid community in Indiana recognized that information and direct assistance with completing the financial aid forms were key factors in helping children from minority, low income, and first generation families go to college.

Despite the fact that there were millions of dollars of financial aid available to many of these families, the stigma that higher education was too expensive was a huge barrier to large numbers of students who never even applied.

Funding from the <a href="http://www.lilly.com/about/social/foundation/endowment.html" target="_blank" class="link">Lilly Endowment, Inc.</a> (and later the Lumina Foundation), made it possible to create this program that relied heavily on the expertise of financial aid administrators across the state. They chose a Sunday during February, Financial Aid Awareness Month, and named it “College Goal Sunday.” On this day, financial aid volunteers helped families complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) in various locations throughout the state.

The promotion of the College Goal Sunday event was instrumental in not only encouraging attendance at the multiple sites across the state, but also publicizing awareness. The information campaign is designed to reach low-income Indiana residents. The campaign uses news media, direct mail and celebrity appearances to inform the public about the importance of higher education, the availability of funds to assist in paying for this education and the existence of College Goal Sunday to help get the ball rolling by helping them complete the FAFSA.

Over the years, there has been continued financial support from the Lilly Endowment and beyond. <a href="http://www.usagroup.com/" target="_blank" class="link">USA Group Foundation</a> has co-funded the program for several years and provided matching grants to replicate the College Goal Sunday program in <a href="http://www.collegegoalsunday.com/home.htm" target="_blank" class="link">Arizona</a> (1997),
<a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=U&start=2&q=http://www.collegegoal.org/&e=912" target="_blank" class="link">Kansas</a> (1999), <a href="http://www.kasfaa.com/cgs/default.htm" target="_blank" class="link">Kentucky</a> (2001), <a href="http://www.go2goal.org/" target="_blank" class="link">Washington, D.C./Baltimore area</a>, <a href="http://www.hawaii.edu/diversity/scholarship/docs/CountdownToCollegeHawaii.pdf" target="_blank" class="link">Hawaii</a> and <a href="http://www.californiacollegegoalsunday.com/" target="_blank" class="link">California</a> (2002).

College Goal Sunday works! Over the past 3 years, 5,000 Mississippi residents have been assisted. In the first year, there were 20 sites statewide and by 2011 there were 47sites in 32 Mississippi cities and towns. 600 individual volunteers offered their time and talent. <em>Exit surveys prove: that it helps the targeted population complete a vital and often difficult task, that volunteer support continues to be vibrant and committed, and more Mississippi ommunities want to initiate their own sites.</em>