Students and parents throughout the county were invited to attend the annual Financial Aid Night hosted by the Pottsville Area High School. It was hosted to provide students with the information necessary to receive money and scholarships for college.

“The Financial Aid Night is a very helpful and informative program for not only the students but also the parents. Parents of juniors or seniors should attend the event at least once so they can begin to think about affording college and understand the application process,” Mrs. Mary Beth Conville, PAHS upperclassman guidance counselor, said.

About 50 people were in attendance at the event beginning at 6 p.m. to hear three women discuss various aspects of financial aid. Linda Pacewicz of Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA) spoke about understanding the financial aid process, loans and federal student aid.

MaryBeth Matz of the Schuylkill Area Community Foundation discussed available scholarships with the audience. These specific scholarships are only being offered to seniors, and a list of the scholarships can be found in the guidance office. Mrs. Conville urges seniors to take a look at all of the available scholarships ahead of time so they know which ones they may qualify for. Applying for scholarships early will also ensure that your application gets in on time and is adequately reviewed by those choosing the recipient.

To give students and parents an in-depth explanation about applying for financial aid, Stephanie Tarullo of the Educational Opportunity Centers was brought in to help talk about the complicated process. A new update was that seniors are now able to apply for their FAFSA, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, October 1 compared to applying January 1 like in previous years.

“Applying for the FAFSA earlier will allow me to receive my scholarships a lot earlier than before. It will then give me more time to determine which school is the perfect fit for me,” senior Sarah Corse-Campion said. “I hope that the FAFSA will make the stress of applying and choosing the best college easier for me.”

PAHS spread the word of the event by putting it on the school website, the electronic marquees on the campus and the announcements, and by announcing it at junior and senior class meetings. They also notified other schools and guidance offices throughout the area so their students heard about what was going on.

For more information on the FAFSA completion process and any other financial aid applications, contact the guidance office or attend the FAFSA completion night October 5 at 6 p.m. The FAFSA completion night will be run similarly to the financial aid night, except it will be held in one of the computer labs of the high school. Students and parents will also be able to complete their FAFSA at the event with the help of various supervisors. The supervisors will be there to assist families with any questions or concerns they may have.