Filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) can be a daunting task, but Barton Community College’s Financial Aid Department will offer students and parents free assistance in making sure the application is filled out correctly. Barton is participating in a national initiative “College Goal Sunday,” from 2-4 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 23 in the Learning Resource Center on the Great Bend campus.
All area students (high school or college) and parents are invited to complete their 14-15 FAFSA online. Barton’s Financial Aid personnel will be on site to help and answer any questions. All first-semester freshmen (fall of 2014) will be entered into a drawing for a $500 scholarship for the 2014-15 school-year.  
Financial aid tips from the Kansas Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators and info about the event:
• Students and their parents (or guardians) should plan to spend 30 minutes to an hour at College Goal Sunday. They will get help from a financial aid professional to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
• Families should bring their 2013 income tax returns and/or 2013 W-2 forms, or their 2013 year-end pay stubs and 2012 tax returns.  
• Families who have not completed their 2013 income tax forms can learn valuable information to help them finish filling out the FAFSA at home.  
• Most colleges and vocational schools require the FAFSA to assess a student’s financial need.  Financial need is defined as the difference between the total cost of attending a specific college and the amount a family is expected to contribute toward that cost.
• According to the College Board, the average 2012-13 tuition/fees increase was 4.8 percent at public four-year universities, 4.2 percent at private four-year universities, and 5.8 percent at public two-year colleges.
• Two out of three full-time students pay for college with assistance of grant aid.
• About 20 percent of traditional-aged undergraduates come from families with incomes below $20,000 per year.
• A college degree is necessary to compete in the labor market of the future, and College Goal Sunday can help students get there.
For more information about the event, contact Financial Aid Officer Shanda DeYoung at deyoungs@bartonccc.edu or 620-792-9268. For more information about College Goal Sunday nationally, go to http://collegegoal.org .