Free workshops on college financial aid will be offered

Thu., Dec. 27, 2012

By Rainey Coffin raineyc@spokesman.com (509) 459-5434

Workshop schedule

Jan.3, Lewis and Clark High School Library, 6:30 to 8 p.m.

Jan. 9, Ferris High School computer lab L13, 6 to 8 p.m.

Jan. 10, Rogers High School Library, 6 p.m.

Jan. 12, Lewis and Clark library, 9:30 a.m. to noon

Jan. 15, Rogers library, 6 p.m.

Jan. 15, North Central High School Library, 6 to 7:30 p.m.

Jan. 19, Shadle Park High School Library, 1 to 4 p.m.

Jan. 19, North Central library, 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Jan. 23, Ferris computer lab L13, 6 to 8 p.m.

Jan. 23, Rogers library, 6 p.m.

Feb. 4, Shadle Park library, 6 to 8 p.m.

Feb. 5, North Central library, 6 to 7:30 p.m.

Spokane Public Schools high school seniors can start planning for how to pay for college at upcoming financial aid workshops. The first of the free seminars will be next Thursday in the Lewis and Clark High School library, from 6:30 to 8 p.m.

The workshops will provide students with information from Federal Student Aid, an office of the U.S. Department of Education, and an opportunity to complete a free application for federal student aid. A press release from Spokane Public Schools stated that research shows that 90 percent of students who complete an application will enroll in postsecondary education within 12 months of high school graduation. Spokane School’s goal is to have a 57 percent application completion rate among high school seniors, matching the national average.

Parents are invited to attend the workshops and have questions answered by a college financial aid officer and help students get through the process of learning about and applying for financial aid. Students are asked to bring their own and their parents’ social security numbers; have their parents’ marital status (married, divorced, separated) and dates of marital status events; parents’ birth dates; records of untaxed income; student and parent 2012 tax information or tax returns, including W-2 forms, and/or final pay stub for 2012; cash, savings and checking account amounts; investment information; driver’s license or state identification number; alien registration number (if non-US citizen); and email address of both parent and student.

To submit news about your school, students and staff to the Education Notebook, send the details to raineyc@spokesman.com or call (509) 459-5434.