NJIT is hosting free financial aid workshops, open to the public, on Feb. 12, 2006, 1-4 p.m., in the NJIT Campus Center. Financial aid officers will give advice on how to fill out state and federal financial aid forms, especially the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which all parents who apply for federal and state aid assistance must complete. The officers will also discuss how financial aid eligibility is determined and how families can make plans to finance a college education.

“Money, or the lack of it, should never prevent a student from attending college,” said Kathy Bialk, director of student financial aid services at NJIT. “There are many kinds of financial aid and many ways to finance a college education,” she added. “All of those options will be discussed and explained during the workshops.”

Two workshops, conducted in English and Spanish, will be offered – one at 1:00 p.m. and the other at 2:30 p.m. A panel of financial aid experts will also be available to answer questions. Although the workshops are free and open to the public, those who plan to attend must register online at http://www.njcollegegoalsunday.org/. For more information, call Bialk at (973) 596-3478.

Parents with college-bound high school seniors are now confronting financial aid deadlines, said Bialk. The timing of the workshops is perfect and the parents of high school seniors are especially welcome, she said. Seniors needn’t know what college they will attend, or if they’ve been accepted, to fill out financial aid forms. 

“The aid process produces a lot of anxiety – college tuition is expensive – but we’ll try to make it as easy as possible for parents and students,” she said.