FAFSA Sunday at Concord

FAFSA Sunday took place Sunday, November 6, with the aim of helping incoming freshmen and returning students to apply for federal financial help. Terri Philpott, Director of Student Support Services, was among some of the Concord faculty at the event.

    Philpott states that Student Support Services, also referred to as SSS, was only one of the offices that participated with this event. SSS believes the FAFSA is extremely important for students’ success, and this prove to be true because of what the program entails. “Student Support Services is a federally funded TRIO program with the goal of helping students who are first generation, and/or low-income, and/or students with disabilities to level the playing-field and successfully matriculate through and graduate like any other student,” she says.

    Philpott explains exactly what SSS is: “Our job is to provide support, the academic support, the social support, with scholarship funds that we have available for our grant with monetary support, financial support, which is what many of our students are lacking,” Philpott states. The FAFSA is extremely important to students because of the federal financial aid that is received and, for most students, it is essential. SSS realizes the significance of students being able to complete it correctly.

    The effort took more than just one person; it took effort and teamwork from all offices. “On FAFSA Sunday, we collaborated with other offices on campus. Including the office of Financial Aid, the Academic Success Center, the office of Student Affairs, Student Support Services, [and the IT department],” states Philpott.

    The goal of FAFSA Sunday is simple: “… [FAFSA Sunday is there] in order to provide families with the opportunity to come in and sit with a financial aid professional and complete their FAFSA’s and have any questions answered that they do have,” says Philpott.

    The FASFA can be a dreadful time for some if they are not confident on how to do it. Philpott says that is why Concord has this event. “Anyone who has ever filled out a FAFSA knows … it is still very intimidating to sit down at the computer and to answer these questions. And sometimes you’re not even sure if you’re answering the questions correctly. So, with this, students have the opportunity and parents have the opportunity to have their questions answered as the FAFSA is being completed,” she says.

    FAFSA Sunday has been around Concord for a while now under a different name. “Originally there was a program through the West Virginia Higher Ed Policy Commission, which was called ‘College Goal Sunday.’ College Goal Sunday was new to West Virginia, we only had it around the last five or six years. [This is] because the first year Concord did not have a College Goal Sunday site, so we actually came in on it at year two,” states Philpott.

    The reason for a different name this year is because of budget cuts. “In light of the ever-decreasing funding sources that come from the Department of Education and other sources, to the Higher Policy Commission, everything has been decreased and/or cut significantly. So, College Goal Sunday was one of the programs that we lost as a result of the budget restrictions and cuts from last year,” says Philpott.

    Although College Goal Sunday was cut, Concord decided that the program was too important for students and the community to lose it. “Concord actually, in hosting the site and hosting the event for the last five to six years, decided it was much too valuable [of an] opportunity to just abandoned because the funding was no longer there,” Philpott states.

    Concord considers this program so valuable, you are not required to attend college here, you can receive help no matter where you choose to attend. “… Even if students were not going to Concord, just being able to offer that collaboration in the community to be able to help students apply for the FAFSA, regardless of where they were wanting to attend college.”

    There was an incentive for students choosing to attend Concord who also attended FASFA Sunday. Both incoming students and returning students could enter a drawing for a $500 scholarship. Gregory King, VP for Enrollment Management, drew two students’ names, one incoming and one returning.

    The program is such a help for students and the community, Concord hopes to continue it. “College Goal Sunday and now the Concord University FAFSA Sunday is a tradition that we do plan to continue to offer. [This is] because of the fact that our goal is to help our students within our community and other communities to be able to obtain a post-secondary education, even if you’re not planning on coming to Concord,” states Philpott. “We have no problem [...] answering your questions so even if Concord is not your choice for a school, you actually have the satisfaction of knowing your FAFSA has been done correctly because professionals actually answered your questions and helped you doing it,” states Philpott.