Financial aid workshop offered free at PSC

CHICAGO HEIGHTS | Submitting a completed and accurate Free Application for Federal Student Aid is the first and most important step in obtaining financial aid.

By completing the FAFSA in the spring, students will be able to meet the required financial aid deadlines. Prairie State College is hosting two workshops to help students and parents file the FAFSA online. The workshops are scheduled from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Feb. 18, and 5 to 7 p.m. March 14, at the college's main campus at 202 S. Halsted St.

The workshop is free and open to the public, and registration is requested by calling (708) 709-3735, or by completing the registration form online at prairiestate.edu/finaid/workshops.html. Assistance also is available in Spanish.

In order to complete the FAFSA, applicants will need to provide a completed or estimated 2011 tax information (parent's and student's 1040, 1040A, and/or 1040EZ federal tax applications and W-2 forms); the student's driver's license and social security number; the parent's social security number and date of birth; records of untaxed income (welfare, social security, AFDC/ADC, or veterans benefits); current bank statements; current mortgage information for properties other than the family's principal residence; records of businesses, farm (if not the family's principal residence), and assets (stocks, bonds, and other investments); and a calculator.

For more information on the FAFSA workshops at PSC, contact the college's Office of Financial Aid and Veterans Affairs at (708) 709-3735.