College Goal Sunday at MTSU
Saturday, January 5, 2013
9:00am-12:00pm

College Goal Sunday (CGS) is a free event held nationwide annually to assist families of new college students  with completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) required to qualify for college financial aid. The event is offered free-of-charge to the families of prospective college students who need financial aid and assistance completing the financial aid paperwork. At MTSU's College Goal Sunday event, students and their parents will have the opportunity to

• Ask questions abouth financial aid,
• Attend a presentation on financial aid, and
• Submit a FAFSA online with the assistance of financial aid professionals.

Click on the following links to learn about MTSU's College Goal Sunday:
Why should I attend College Goal Sunday?
Am I required to register for the CGS even?
When should I arrive? Do I need to stay the whole time?
Where is the MTSU's College Goal Sunday event held, and how do I get there?
What should I bring?
Will the event be cancelled for snow or ice?
Other questions?

Why should I attend the CGS event?

Applying for financial aid for the first time can be a bit overwhelming, yet the FAFSA is required if you want to receive grants, loans, a lottery scholarship, or other types of state and federal aid. Financial aid staff at CGS will help you to complete your FAFSA, and will be available to answer many of the common questions students and their parents have when filing a FAFSA. Even if you're not ready to file your FAFSA yet (or have already filed it), you may want to attend CGS to learn about financial aid and scholarships.

Important Note: Do you expect to qualify for need-based aid based on your family's low income? If yes, please note that the state is recommending this year that you file your FAFSA as soon after January 1 as possible, since funds for a need-based state grant called the TSAA Grant are extremely limited. We strongly recommend that you file your FAFSA in early January, using estimated tax information based on your 2011 tax return and your final pay stub for 2012. We have therefore set our College Goal Sunday event as early in January as possible!

Am I required to register for the CGS event?

We strongly recommend that you pre-register via the state's website (available beginning December 1), so that we can plan for your attendance and notify you of any schedule changes. However, you are welcome to attend CGS even if you do not pre-register.

When should I arrive?

CGS is from 9:00 am to noon on Saturday, January 5, 2013. For best results, please arrive at 9:00 and plan to stay for the full event. While you may arrive later if necessary, you will have the most time to get the assistance you need if you are able to attend the full event from 9:00am to noon.

Where is MTSU's College Goal Sunday event held, and how do I get there?

At MTSU, College Goal Sunday is held in the Business and Aerospace (BAS) building, with registration held in the north lobby of the building. (You can find a list of other Tennessee sites by clicking here; the state's website will be updated by early January.)  Click here to find maps of the MTSU campus and directions to campus. Once you arrive on campus, please follow these directions to the BAS building:

From Middle Tennessee Boulevard:

• Turn onto Main Street so that you're headed toward campus. (If coming from the direction of Greenland Blvd, this will be a left turn; if coming from the Mercury Boulevard area, this will be a right turn.)
• Turn left onto Baird Lane, then right onto Alumni Drive.
• At the next intersection, turn left onto Blue Raider Drive.
• Go three clicks around the roundabout so that you are on Lightning Way.
• The Business and Aerospace (BAS) building will be on your left, but you will turn right to park.
• Turn right onto Founders Lane at the four-way stop, to park your car along the road or in any of the small lots near the BAS building.
• Walk on Founders Way toward the BAS building and enter the building via the doors facing Lightning Way.

 From Rutherford Blvd:

• Turn onto MTSU Boulevard. (If coming from the direction of Memorial Blvd, this will be a right turn; if coming from the Wal-Mart or Main Street area, this will be a left turn.)
• Go two clicks around the roundabout so that you have essentially gone straight ahead; you will be on Lightning Way.
• The Business and Aerospace (BAS) building will be on your left, but you will turn right to park.
• Turn right onto Founders Lane at the four-way stop, to park your car along the road or in any of the small lots near the BAS building.
• Walk on Founders Way toward the BAS building and enter the building via the doors facing Lightning Way.

What should I bring?

If you wish to submit your FAFSA during the event, please bring a copy of your 2012 tax return and W-2s, a copy of your parents' 2012 tax return and W-2s, and information about savings account balances and other income and assets. You may want to print the FAFSA on the Web Worksheet (available on the FAFSA website) to review the complete list of the information you will need to complete your FAFSA. Additionally, you may want to go ahead and request a PIN number, if you have not already done so. One of the parents listed on your FAFSA will also need to request a PIN number. Bring the PIN numbers to College Goal Sunday, so that you can complete and submit your FAFSA during the event.

Should I come to College Goal Sunday if my parents don't have their taxes or W-2's yet?

Yes, You can go ahead and file your FAFSA based on estimated income information. For best results, bring a copy of your parents' most recent tax return (for the 2011 tax year) and a copy of their last pay stub for 2012. You can use this information to estimate their income for the FAFSA. After your parents file the 2012 tax return, you can check your estimated info on the FAFSA to determine whether you estimated correctly. If you find that your estimated income is incorrect, please correct and resubmit your FAFSA. (You can also estimate your own income information, if you haven't filed a tax return yet but expect to do so later.)

Will the event be cancelled for snow or ice?

We will make every effort to hold the CGS event regardless of weather. However, if we have inclement weather and must delay or cancel the event, local media will be notified; please watch Nashville and MTSU TV stations for cancellation information. If you register to attend CGS at MTSU and provide a valid email address, you will receive an email message notifying you if the event is cancelled.

Other questions?

Please contact one of the following event coordinators:

• Leann Eaton (leann.eaton@mtsu.edu, 615-898-2246)
• Kelly Holder (kelly.holder@mtsu.edu, 615-898-5151)

Return to the freshman scholarships webpage

Updated October, 2012