Focus

Priority deadline approaches for both FAFSA, Foundation forms

Jessica Clark
Staff Reporter

NIACC students who haven’t completed a FAFSA or Foundation Scholarship form should do so soon.

The priority deadline for both forms is Thursday, March 1.

With this date quickly approaching, students may miss the chance to maximize the amount they could receive in scholarships and grants, which is essentially free money or “gift aid.”

Students can still fill out the forms after the dates but would not receive the same priority as those who meet the deadline.

Scholarships can range anywhere between $250 to full tuition, but normally average about $1,000.

“Eighty-eight percent of first times, full-time students receive some sort of financial aid,” Mary Bloomingdale, NIACC’s director of Financial Aid and Scholarship Programs, said.

Information about the grants offered at NIACC can be obtained in the Financial Aid @ NIACC booklet, which can be found in the Financial Aid office in the Pierce Administration Building.

Another option students have to help pay for college is applying for The Foundation Scholarship.

The Foundation Scholarship consists of a variety of scholarships from separate contributors such as local businesses, alumni, along with current and previous board members.

Molly Knoll, the assistant director of Institutional Advancement, encourages all students to fill out the application as completely as possible and to take their time when answering the essay question.

“I want students to know that applying is easy, doesn’t require FAFSA, and only requires one application for hundreds of scholarships,” Knoll said about the process.

There are a couple of options when filing a FAFSA form.

The first option is to do it individually by going online to www.fafsa.gov, or students can also set up an appointment with Cindy Lind in the Admissions Office by calling 641-422-4417. All students will need when applying for student aid is an accepted tax return, student pin and knowledge of the student code.