College Financial Aid officers will be on hand at Sampson Community College on Saturday, Feb. 13 from 9 a.m. until 12 noon to help high school seniors and families complete and submit their Free Application for Federal Student Aid forms.

The FAFSA is required to be considered for all federal and most state financial aid, including grants, for college. All local high school seniors are encouraged to attend regardless of the college they are planning to attend.

In preparation for completing the FAFSA, participants should bring both the student’s and parents’ federal 1040 tax forms for 2009 to FAFSA Day. Each participating student and parent also is encouraged to obtain a Personal Identification Number (PIN) from the U.S. Department of Education website, www.pin.ed.gov, prior to FAFSA Day. To save time on the day of the event, it is also helpful if participants will complete as much of the FAFSA on the Web Worksheet as possible prior to the program. The online worksheet is available at www.fafsa.ed.gov.

FAFSA Day is one of many free services offered by College Foundation of North Carolina to help students of all ages. At CFNC, families can find college cost estimators, listings of scholarship, grant and loan opportunities, information about North Carolina's college savings plan, career information and virtual tours of more than 100 of the state’s college campuses and online college admission and financial aid applications.

College Foundation of North Carolina, a free service provided by Pathways, College Foundation, Inc. and the N.C. State Education Assistance Authority, helps students plan, apply and pay for college.

Pathways is a state-based initiative including North Carolina’s Department of Public Instruction, the University of North Carolina System, the North Carolina Community Colleges, and the North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities working together to increase access to college for all North Carolinians.

College Foundation, Inc., a nonprofit corporation serving North Carolina students and families since 1955, administers a portfolio of more than $2 billion, including low-interest federal education loans, the state's college grant programs and the tax-free “ 529” college savings program on behalf of the N.C. State Education Assistance Authority.

To learn more, visit CFNC.org or call 1-866-866-CFNC.

For more information about FAFSA Day at Sampson Community College, contact the Financial Aid Office at (910) 592-8084.