College Goal Sunday, Jan 29, in TN; Filling out the FAFSA, and Free Income Tax Assistance

Dear ScholarshipMan readers:

If you have already applied to colleges, you need to be filling out the FAFSA as soon as possible.
Many colleges and universities award money to those who apply earliest, and they will list when they will start considering students for scholarships for the 2012-2013 school year.

This post is full of information about filling out the FAFSA to maximize your scholarship opportunities, College Goal Sunday for help in filling out your FAFSA, and free income tax help if you need help finishing your taxes in preparation for the FAFSA.

FAFSA and College Goal Sunday

Filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is your first step to applying for scholarships.

Since most tax documents will be mailed by February 1st, then you can pretty soon start filling out the FAFSA. The earlier you fill out this information, the better.

College Goal Sunday

College Goal Sunday happens all over the country; you can bring your information in and get help from experts in filling out your FAFSA.

http://www.tn.gov/CollegeGoalSunday/index.html

The materials you need to bring can be found on the College Goal Sunday for Tennessee website.

http://www.tn.gov/CollegeGoalSunday/locations.html

If you are in Nashville, College Goal Sunday happens on January 29, though dates and locations vary all over Tennessee.

Above you will find a list and dates for College Goal Sunday in Tennessee.


http://www.collegegoalsundayusa.org/

For others in the United States, you can find the College Goal Sunday dates and locations at the above website.

Now is the time to start getting your materials together to maximize your financial aid.


2012-13 FAFSA line-by-line Guide

http://collegegoalsundayusa.org/Volunteers/TrainingMaterials.htm

You might also find it instructive to look at the 2012-13 FAFSA line-by-line presentation, which includes instructions on how to fill out the current FAFSA line by line, including the changes this year in the FAFSA and how they will affect the person applying for financial aid.

The first part is online, with parts two and three to come later.


The Guide to Federal Student Aid, 2012-13

http://studentaid.ed.gov/students/attachments/siteresources/12-13_Guide.pdf

The federal government also publishes its annual Guide to Federal Student Aid, 2012-2013.

http://studentaid.ed.gov/PORTALSWebApp/students/english/publications.jsp

Here is a list of other federal publications to help you in finding money for college, as well as other information in your pursuit of your college dream.


Free Income Tax Assistance

Many times people are reluctant to fill out the FAFSA because they have not finished filling out their income taxes.

However, the waiting game can be harsh to those who wait later.

You can get income tax assistance to help you with your income tax if you make low to moderate income (less than $50,000).

http://www.irs.gov/individuals/article/0,,id=107626,00.html

The IRS provides an 800 number to find VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Sites) sites near you, as well as AARP tax volunteer sites.

http://www.aarp.org/money/taxes/aarp_taxaide/

You don’t have to be older to use the AARP tax volunteer sites. (I used one about two years ago to get assistance on my taxes).

What should I bring to the VITA tax site?

http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=167463,00.html

For a list of what to bring to the VITA or tax counselor site, consult this article.


Nashville Alliance for Financial Independence

http://www.nashvilleafi.org/index.htm

Nashville has the Nashville Alliance for Financial Independence, which gives free tax help to those who make $49,000 or less.

This is very lengthy post, but if you follow this information, you should be on your way to maximizing your financial aid.

Sincerely,
Mike

P.S. If you happen to be a follower of this blog, introduce yourself. Email me at scholarship at gmail.com and tell me who you are.