MTSU’s Fall Preview Day Saturday, Nov. 5, has a new wrinkle for the nearly 600 students and their family members planning to attend.

FAFSA — or Free Application for Federal Student Aid — assistance will be available from noon to 3 p.m. in the Business and Aerospace Building, 1642 MTSU Blvd., as part of preview day activities that start at 8 a.m. in the Student Union, 1768 MTSU Blvd. To find parking and buildings, visit http://tinyurl.com/MTSUParkingMap.

Melinda Thomas

MTSU’s first “FAFSA Frenzy” is an extension of the College Goal Sunday events held at MTSU in the past when the federal government allowed people to begin the FAFSA online process on Jan. 1.

Now the government allows the process to begin Oct. 1, and MTSU officials thought Fall Preview Day would be a great chance for people touring campus to file their form to be eligible for grants, loans and work-study funds for college offered by the Department of Education’s Office of Federal Student Aid.

“This is an opportunity for families to receive hands-on assistance in completing the FAFSA,” said Melinda Thomas, the director of the MT One Stop on the second floor of the Student Services and Admissions Center. The MT One Stop provides services in the areas of financial aid, course registration, tuition and billing and transcripts.

The FAFSA event, open to the public, is free. Several computers will be available in BAS, Thomas said. Additional information regarding the event can be found at www.mtsu.edu/goal.

The Student Services and Admissions Center is located at 1860 Blue Raider Drive.

For the 581 prospective students and nearly 1,130 guests accompanying them Saturday, Fall Preview Day lets them explore campus, tour buildings and meet faculty and staff from academic areas and the Division of Student Affairs. To learn more, visit www.mtsu.edu/schedule-a-visit/special-events.php.

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

Kyle Elliot, front left, a former Blue Elite tour guide member, leads an MTSU campus tour past the Student Union and near the Student Health, Wellness and Recreation Center in this August 2015 file photo. (MTSU file photo by Randy Weiler)