Community College to Hold Financial Aid Information Night

Provided by Bucks County Community College:

As the cost of higher education keeps climbing, Bucks County Community College can help you reach your goals with Financial Aid Information Night Wednesday, February 5, at 7 p.m. in the Gateway Auditorium on the campus at 275 Swamp Road, Newtown.

At the free forum, parents and students will learn how to complete federal forms to apply for financial aid at any college or university, according to Donna Wilkoski, Director of Financial Aid.

“We’ll explain the details of the FAFSA,” Wilkoski said, referring to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. “People look at the form and may find it’s overwhelming the first time they do it. But it’s the best way to find out if you qualify for aid, and the earlier you file, the better.”

The FAFSA must be filled out annually by college students and their parents to determine eligibility for federal financial aid. In addition, many states and schools use the information on the form to decide non-federal aid awards, such as institutional grants and scholarships.

To that end, Tobias Bruhn, Executive Director of the Bucks County Community College Foundation, will speak about scholarship opportunities available should a student choose Bucks. Each year, the public, two-year college distributes more than 300 scholarships and awards. Most of the funds come from the BCCC Foundation, a nonprofit educational trust, which is currently accepting applications for scholarships for the 2014-15 academic year.

At the forum, representatives from Bucks’ Financial Aid office will discuss the types of aid offered through both the federal government and the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA).

“There’s a wide range of financial aid available. It all depends on a student’s situation,” says Wilkoski. “For instance, everyone can apply for a federal student loan. Then grants are dependent on income, household size, number of siblings, and other factors. Even at Bucks, more than one-third of our students receive some sort of aid.”

Financial aid and admissions representatives will be available to answers questions after the presentations.

Bucks is often the first choice for an affordable start to a bachelor’s degree, with tuition at just $123 a credit for county residents. Most credits transfer to four-year colleges and universities.

For more information about Financial Aid Information Night February 5, call the college’s Financial Aid Office at 215-968-8200. In case of bad weather, the program will take place Wednesday,February 12. For weather closing information, visit www.bucks.edu or call the college’s main switchboard at 215-968-8000.