P.O. Box 632 Findlay, Ohio 45839 Phone: 419-420-9327

Higher Education
Financial Aid Workshop
By
Jan 31, 2008, 22:05

Area residents interested in acquiring additional information about financial aid are encouraged to participate in a free workshop where financial aid representatives from colleges and universities throughout Northwest Ohio will provide insight on securing federal and state assistance to any academic institution of higher learning. The program, known as College Goal Sunday, will be held at the Owens Community College Findlay-area Campus on Sunday, Feb. 10. The
College is also hosting a College Goal Sunday on the Owens Toledo-area Campus that same day.

Presented by the Ohio Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (OASFAA), the state-sponsored event will focus on helping students complete their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) application, as well as answer financial aid specific questions. College Goal Sunday will begin at 2 p.m. in the College’s Conference Center. Families will need to register prior to the event by accessing the College Goal Sunday website at www.ohiocollegegoalsunday.org.

“Owens Community College and fellow academic institutions are committed to offering the maximum amount of educational resources for students to fund their college education,” said Gary Ulrich, Owens Financial Aid Representative on the Findlay-area Campus. “One of the biggest roadblocks students encounter when exploring their eligibilityfor financial aid is the financial aid form itself. College Goal Sunday invites students and their parents to spend an afternoon going through the application process step-by-step with a financial aid representative.”

Ulrich added, “Students who apply now will have the advantage of being eligible for considerably more financial aid than those who wait until late spring. The money is out there and events such as College Goal Sunday are intended to provide some sense of hope to students who feel that financial resources are the biggest barrier to a college education.”

Owens and other colleges and universities currently participate in several need-based federal and state funded grant programs, work study opportunities, and loans, which all require applicants to file a FAFSA form to determine financial need. Additionally, numerous scholarships are available at the various academic institutions.

Specific programs accessible to students include the Federal Pell Grant, the Ohio College Opportunity Grant, the Federal Stafford Loan, the Federal PLUS Loan and the Federal Work Study, among others.

For more information, contact the College’s Office of Financial Aid at (567) 429-3540 or 1-800-GO-OWENS, Ext. 3540.

Owens Community College is one of the fastest-growing higher educational institutions in Ohio. On the Toledo-area and Findlay-area campuses, Owens serves more than 45,000 credit and non-credit students. Owens is committed to providing small classes, personal attention and unmatched affordability. Owens Community College offers associate degrees that transfer to baccalaureate degrees in the Arts and Sciences and over 130 technical program areas in Agriculture, Business, Health Sciences, Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, Skilled Trades, and Engineering and Transportation Technologies. Owens students also can earn the first two years of a bachelor’s degree with a smooth transfer to any area four-year college or university. For more information, visit www.owens.edu.