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College Goal Sunday

 

 College Goal Sunday 

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The History of College Goal Sunday
College Goal Sunday is a volunteer program that helps students and families who need assistance in completing financial aid forms, giving particular focus to helping low-income, first generation students. The program got its start in Indiana in 1989 as a joint project of the Indiana Student Financial Aid Association (ISFAA) and the State Student Assistance Commission of Indiana (SSACI), with funding from Lilly Endowment, Inc.

College Goal Sunday is designed to remove barriers that have kept many qualified students from pursuing a higher education. Research shows that families see the high cost of a college education as the main barrier between them and a degree, even though millions of dollars in various forms of financial aid are available to students. The simple fact is many families — particularly minority, low income, and first generation college students — are not applying for those funds. These students and their families need two things: First, they need to receive more information about the availability of financial aid, and second, they need expert assistance in filling out the required paperwork.

On College Goal Sunday (traditionally, a week or two after Super Bowl Sunday), ISFFA professionals volunteered in selected community sites in Indiana to help families complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

Over time, College Goal Sunday has attracted a number of important and loyal allies, such as former National Football League standout Bill Brooks, who volunteered his personal endorsement for the first College Goal Sunday and remains the program's faithful celebrity spokesman. The program also expanded, and now College Goal Sunday hosts events in 19 states and the District of Columbia. In 2006, seven more states joined College Goal Sunday, including Florida. It is projected that College Goal Sunday programs will increase in number of sites and will serve more than 100,000 students and families by 2007.