Future suddenly not so formless

Tammy Douglas and her mom, Leslie Earney, took their time Sunday afternoon carefully reading each question and thumbing through their clear plastic bag of pay stubs and tax information.

It was slow and confusing at times, but after about two hours, 18-year-old Douglas, a senior at North Central High School, had submitted her first application for federal financial aid, called a Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA.

“Submitted FAFSA, right here!” a woman who helped the two complete the form exclaimed to cheers.

Douglas and Earney were among about 30 pairs of students and parents who stopped by the North Central High School library Sunday afternoon to get help filling out the financial aid form, a crucial form for students and parents hoping to qualify for financial aid for college.

The form is a catch-all application for federal financial aid programs. Without it, no aid is available.

Filling it out was daunting, Earney admitted, especially because it was their first encounter with the form, “but it’s nice to have the support here from all the volunteers.”

Called College Goal Sunday, the free seminar brought about 25 financial aid experts to the school to offer students and their parents help filling out the forms. The form, available online, has lots of questions about student and parent income as well as assets and other tax information, information that helps determine how much financial aid a college-bound student qualifies for.

“The form itself can be intimidating, and we know that,” said Julie Naccarato, a lender relations specialist with the Northwest Education Loan Association, which put on the seminar. “This event is designed to be hands-on.”

Similar seminars were held in six other cities in Washington on Sunday.

Each person who attended the Spokane seminar was asked to fill out a survey about its helpfulness. One question asked if the student or their parents could have filled out the FAFSA form without getting help at the seminar.

“Several have said no,” said Susan Busch, a seminar volunteer.

But with the help of the experts roaming the high school library, some students had their forms filled out in a half an hour.

“With the help, it isn’t as hard as some folks think,” Naccarato said.

And the help should carry over for years to come. Because financial aid is income-dependent, the application needs to be filled out each year with updated information for a student to continue qualifying.

Spokane resident Jan Gilliam went to the seminar for a refresher. She’s filled out the forms before, but not since her older daughter left school four years ago. Her youngest daughter, Jayme, is a senior at Shadle Park High and will attend one of the state colleges next year. Gilliam got started on the form Sunday and will have Jayme finish it later.

“I thought since I hadn’t filled it out for four years, I’d come here just to learn about the changes,” she said. “But truthfully, it hasn’t changed that much.” Still, minor adjustments, such as a change in the time period assets must be reported, made attending worthwhile, she said.

“I think this is a great idea,” she said. “It’s very confusing, especially the first time.”

Earney hopes her experience with the FAFSA on Sunday will help when it comes time for her stepdaughter to fill one out in four years.

But if a refresher is needed, she’ll keep the seminar in mind. “I’ll send her dad,” Earney joked. “See how he likes it.”