Families preparing to send a student to college can receive free financial aid assistance and take the first steps toward submitting the critical Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) during College Goal South Carolina at the University of South Carolina Upstate.

Hours for the event have been extended; this year, it will be from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Feb. 18 in the Health Education Complex Lobby, on the campus of USC Upstate, 800 University Way, Spartanburg.

Students and parents or guardians will receive help completing and submitting the FAFSA, as well as information about state scholarship programs. FAFSA is the first step to receiving federal aid and the second step to post-secondary access. It is a vital requirement for most college students who plan to pay for college with the assistance of several types of financial aid.

In addition to free assistance in completing and submitting the FAFSA, students will also receive advice from financial experts, information about two- and four-year higher education institutions, and the next steps available to secure money to pay for college.

In order to complete and submit a FAFSA during the event, participating students should bring the following on Feb. 18: Social Security Number; Alien Registration Number (if not a U.S. citizen); 2015 federal income tax returns, W-2s, and other records of money earned; bank statements and records of investments; records of untaxed income; and Federal Student Aid ID (to sign in electronically).

A student who does not have a Federal Student Aid ID should visit https://fsaid.ed.gov. Also, you may be able to transfer your federal tax return information into your FAFSA using the IRS Data Retrieval Tool.

For more information about the USC Upstate event, contact Dalynn Hare at 864-503-5966 or dlhare@uscupstate.edu.

For more information about College Goal SC, visit www.sccango.org

About USC Upstate

USC Upstate offers more than 40 bachelor’s degree programs in the liberal arts and sciences, business administration, nursing, and teacher education, and master’s degrees in education, informatics, and nursing. Among the fastest-growing universities in South Carolina, USC Upstate is a diverse and dynamic community of 6,000 students from across the Upstate, 36 states, and 15 countries. As a leading metropolitan universities in the Southeast, USC Upstate has its main campus in Spartanburg, two locations in Greenville, and a growing number of programs online.  The USC Upstate Spartans, which fields 17 varsity sports, compete on the NCAA Division I level as a member of the Atlantic Sun Conference. Nearly 26,000 alumni have earned degrees from USC Upstate and approximately 85 percent choose to remain in the Upstate region to build their lives and careers, making a significant impact of the region’s economy and quality of life. Learn more at www.uscupstate.edu.

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