Press release

The Galion High School Guidance Department will be hosting a Financial Aid meeting and completion workshop Saturday, October 29. The event will be held at the High School and will begin promptly at 9:00 a.m. The event is free and open to college-bound seniors and their parents.

In past years, the College Financial Aid Process did not begin until after January 1; however, this year, the government has changed that date to October 1.  Parents/students are strongly encouraged to file for financial aid as soon after October 1.  They will be using the tax information from their 2015 tax return.

Victoria O’Brien, Director of Financial Aid at The Ohio State University-Mansfield will explain the process and procedure for filing for financial aid and for completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).  She will also address questions/concerns about financial aid and provide resources available for assistance.

Moreover, O’Brien will help students and parents complete the FAFSA on-site that morning. Seniors at GHS received a packet of information on October 19 through their English class. This packet provides all necessary information for completing the FAFSA on-line, and it answers such questions as “How do I get started?” “What’s the website address?” “Who is my ‘parent” when I complete the FAFSA?” “What information to do I need to complete the FAFSA on line?” It also provides an informal worksheet for parents to complete before sitting down at the computer.

This helpful informational packet can also be found on the High School Guidance Department website at www.galionschools.org. Once on the site, navigate to “Galion High School”, select “Academics,” “Guidance” and click the “College Center” link.

“We added the completion workshop to the meeting last year for students and parents who might be apprehensive about this very important component of the college application process,” said Tena Eyster, Senior Guidance Counselor. “People seemed to appreciate the help, so we decided to offer it again. It is especially important this year because of the new date.”

For more information about the upcoming meeting, please contact Tena Eyster at (419) 468-6500 ext. 12003 or email eyster.tena@galionschools.org.