Students looking for help paying for college can learn all about the options available to them in a new set of online discussions at Montgomery County Community College.

The College’s Financial Aid Office will host four, hour-long virtual information sessions about the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The first session begins Monday, Nov. 23 from 10 to 11 a.m. followed by a second session the same day from 6 to 7 p.m. The College will hold two additional information sessions during the same time slots on Thursday, Feb. 4, 2021. Each session  is free and open to the public and is intended for current and prospective students and their families. 

During the online sessions, financial assistance coaches will present a brief PowerPoint about the FAFSA, which will contain tips to applying, common mistakes people make, frequently asked questions and what to expect after filing. They will also provide information on how to obtain help with the FAFSA through various means, and will highlight the College’s one-to-one virtual FAFSA assistance appointments available. Each session will also include time for participants to ask general questions at the end of the presentation.

Ashley Smith, Associate Director of Financial Aid for Student Relations, said these sessions look to demystify the process of filling out the FAFSA and give people peace of mind.

“This is a service that’s not only available to students but to community members at large,” she said. “So many people are intimidated by the FAFSA process. Either they’ve never done it before or they’ve done it in the past but made errors. It should not be like that.”

Smith said she and her colleagues are there to help and ease any fears people may have about the application. Community members can even schedule one-on-one appointments with financial aid coaches and staff members to help answer any remaining questions they may have.

“We offer tips, advice on common mistakes we see all the time,” she said, “all in an effort to help them with the process.”