The Tyrone Area High School guidance department will offer free half hour workshops on financial aid for all college bound students and/or their parents on February 5th, 2014 from 1:00 pm to 7:00 pm at the high school in room 108.

These half-hour workshops will provide parents and students with personalized help completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form and the opportunity to ask other questions related to the financial aid process.

To make an appointment to attend a workshop call Jeri Veit in the High School Guidance office at 684-4240.

Appointments will be filled on a first-come, first-serve basis. Call as soon as possible to reserve a preferred time.

Session information will be provided by the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA).

The deadline for submitting the FAFSA to determine eligibility for a need-based Pennsylvania State Grant is May 1, 2014 or August 1, 2014 for first-time students entering programs of study at community colleges, business, trade or technical schools, and hospital schools of nursing.

However families should submit their FAFSA as early as possible to ensure meeting earlier financial aid deadlines that may be required by individual schools.

Families are encouraged to visit PHEAA.org/FAFSA to access the online FAFSA, as well as a FAFSA on the “web worksheet“, which provides step-by-step information on the application process.

The FAFSA is used to determine if students qualify for most need-based financial assistance, including the Pennsylvania State Grant, Federal Pell Grant, scholarships, work-study programs, school-based awards, and federal student loans.

Don’t miss this opportunity to find out about the student aid that is available to help finance college expenses.

“Each year, tens of thousands of Pennsylvania families don’t complete their FAFSA in time to meet the various deadlines for financial assistance,” notes Representative William Adolph, Chairman of the PHEAA Board.

“To be sure you qualify for all the aid available, it is best to plan ahead and be sure you submit your FAFSA prior to your earliest financial aid deadline.”

Ninety-eight percent of all applicants complete the FAFSA online which provides for faster and more accurate results.

Since the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) will no longer provide paper forms, families have the choice of completing and submitting the form electronically or printing the form and mailing it directly to the U.S. Department of Education.

To submit the form electronically, students and parents must use a personal identification number (PIN) which can be obtained while filing the FAFSA or requested in advance at pin.ed.gov.

Families should avoid online FAFSA sites that require a fee to complete the free application, since help with these forms is available through PHEAA staff and the U.S. government at no charge.