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MTSU shifts College Goal Sunday to Saturday, Jan. 5

January 2, 2013 By

In an effort to allow more families to attend, MTSU financial aid officials have shifted the university’s annual College Goal Sunday event to this Saturday, Jan. 5.

The event will be held from 9 a.m. to noon Jan. 5 in the Business and Aerospace Building.

College Goal Sunday assists students planning to attend any college, particularly with the completion and online submission of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, information required to qualify for financial aid.

Leann Eaton, an associate director in MTSU’s financial aid office, said the university  “once again is excited to host a College Goal Tennessee event geared toward any entering college student no matter where they plan to attend.”

Eaton explained the change to holding the event on Saturday.

“MTSU chose the first Saturday in January so that prospective students can complete their FAFSA application early so that they may meet any state, federal and institutional financial aid deadlines,” she said.

“We moved our College Goal event to a Saturday in the hopes of having more families participate. This way, families can come complete their FAFSA applications in the morning and it still leaves their afternoon free.”

Eaton said financial aid personnel will provide information sessions on completing the FAFSA and to make families aware of the most common mistakes made when completing the FAFSA.

“Families then will be able to complete their FAFSA application in a computer lab, which will be staffed by financial aid representatives as well as representatives from the Tennessee Student Assistance Corporation,” she said.

To complete the FAFSA, each family is encouraged to bring a copy of their 2011 tax return as well as their final 2012 paycheck stubs.

Pre-registration is encouraged, but not required. The event is free.

For more information, visit www.mtsu.edu/financialaid/cgs.php. To assist with parking, a printable campus map is available at http://tinyurl.com/MTParkingMap12-13. 

College Goal Sunday events will be held across Tennessee from Jan. 5 through Feb. 10. Visit www.tn.gov/collegegoalsunday for more information, registration details and all locations and dates.

— Randy Weiler (randy.weiler@mtsu.edu)

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College Goal Sunday set Dec. 4

December 1, 2011 By

As part of the annual College Goal Sunday, MTSU financial-aid officials have agreed to run a pilot program to help families prepare the federal student-aid application on their own in early January.

College Goal Sunday at MTSU will be Sunday, Dec. 4, from 2 until 4:30 p.m. in the south lobby of the Business and Aerospace Building.

Tennessee’s 30-plus other College Goal Sunday sites—including Nashville, Lebanon, Lynchburg, Clarksville, Cookeville, Columbia, McMinnville and Gallatin in the Midstate—will be held in January or February.

Families can submit information online via the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, to Federal Student Aid in the U.S. Department of Education to see how much aid prospective students might need beyond high school.

“MTSU’s College Goal Sunday FAFSA Prep Workshop will assist prospective college students in preparing to apply for financial aid in early January in order to qualify for federal grants and loans, state grants and the Tennessee Education Lottery Scholarship,” said Bonnie McCarty, assistant director of scholarships in the Scholarships Office.

McCarty said many types of need-based aid, including a state grant of $1,000 to $4,000 per year, have very limited funding. Therefore, students are encouraged to file a FAFSA in early to mid-January.

Funds for 2011-12 ran out in early February 2011, she said.

“MTSU’s FAFSA Prep Workshop will allow students to receive free assistance in preparing to file the FAFSA independently on Jan. 1, 2012, when the 2012-13 FAFSA first becomes available,” McCarty said.

The workshop is a 2½-hour series of sessions and not a drop-in event, she added.

For more information, visit www.mtsu.edu/financialaid/cgs.shtml, call McCarty at 615-898-8414 or email BonnieMccarty@mtsu.edu.

For other CGS locations, visit http://tn.gov/CollegeGoalSunday/locations.html.

— Randy Weiler (Randy.Weiler@mtsu.edu)

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Meeting deadline can boost scholarship chances

November 28, 2011 By

High-school seniors planning to attend MTSU in fall 2012 who want priority consideration for major scholarships need to apply by Thursday, Dec. 1, University officials said.

“Making application to MTSU by the Dec. 1 deadline is necessary to be eligible for priority scholarship consideration,” said David Cicotello, associate vice provost for admissions and enrollment services.

David Cicotello

“The earlier a student submits an application, the sooner an admission decision is made,” Cicotello added. “The college-selection process is less stressful when application activity happens earlier in the senior year rather than later.”

Meeting the Dec. 1 deadline will help outstanding students to be considered for National Merit/Achievement, Chancellor, Presidential, Academic Service, Valedictorian/Salutatorian, Provost and International Baccalaureate scholarships. The yearly monetary awards range from the $1,000 International Baccalaureate scholarship to the $6,000 National Merit/Achievement gift.

The University Honors College’s Buchanan Fellowship, which is the most coveted scholarship, also has a Dec. 1 deadline.

Scholarship considerations primarily are based on high-achieving students’ grade-point averages and ACT/SAT scores.

Other scholarships at MTSU, including the DREAM and Foundation awards, have a Feb. 15 deadline. Departmental scholarships generally have a Feb. 15 deadline, but they can vary.

Prospective students who apply between Dec. 2 and Feb. 15 may not receive a major scholarship, officials cautioned.

“While we may be able to award scholarships to late applicants, we never can guarantee this,” said Bonnie McCarty, assistant director of scholarships in the Scholarship Office.

“Students who qualify for academic scholarships must apply for admission by Dec. 1 to have any guarantee that they will receive the scholarship for which they are eligible.”

Prospective scholarship recipients must submit an admissions application with a $25 fee), a high-school transcript and ACT/SAT scores to be considered.

For more information, prospective applicants may visit:

— Randy Weiler (Randy.Weiler@mtsu.edu)

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