Ninety-nine percent of freshman received financial aid for the 2013-2014 school year at Kent State, according to college planning organization College Board.             

Kent State held it’s annual College Goal Sunday in Franklin Hall’s First Energy Auditorium Feb. 9.

College Goal Sunday is a state-based volunteer program to help students and their families apply for financial aid for postsecondary education.

Mark Evans, financial aid director,  said Kent State has been a part of this program for about seven years.

“We do a number of outreach programs throughout the year, but this program specifically is to sit down with families and help them fill out FAFSA,” Evans said.

Assistant financial aid director Jameka Peake was in charge of outreach for the event.

 Families were able to listen to a presentation about how to complete the FAFSA, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, to avoid common mistakes people make.

According to the College Goal Sunday website, the program was initially created by the Indiana Student Financial Aid Association. Thirty-seven states and the District of Columbia are a part of the program.

“It was nice to have person to say pay attention to this, and pay attention to that,” said Theresa Parker, a parent of an incoming freshman.

The State of Ohio reported that 96 percent of attendants found College Goal Sunday helpful.

“I feel over the past few years students and high schools are becoming more aware of the event, and I think this just helps them get more comfortable with filling out the FAFSA and overcoming that barrier of college cost,” said Shannon McDonald, a volunteer for College Goal Sunday at Kent State.

To apply for financial aid, visit www.fafsa.gov.

Contact Breyanna Tripp at [email protected].