Crawford College Connection is sponsoring “Focus on the FAFSA,” a free financial aid workshop, on Feb. 7 in the Community Room of the Bucyrus Public Library. The workshop will feature financial aid experts from area colleges. This workshop is open to all Crawford County residents.

Margaret Thornton, director of Crawford College Connection, stressed the confidentiality of the workshop. “These financial aid advisors are out-of-town professionals who will sit down with parents and work individually with them. The goal is for parents to have the FAFSA completed by the end of the work session. Thornton noted that anyone wanting to file on-line that day should already have an FSA ID—one for the student and one for a parent. Those can be obtained early by going to https://fsaid.ed.gov. Thornton stressed that all need-based aid and some additional scholarships require the completion of the FAFSA. “Filling it out is the most important way parents can help their students get aid for college,” she added.

Parents should call the Bucyrus Public Library at (419) 562-7327 to schedule an appointment for the session on Feb. 7. Appointments will be available every half hour from 1:30-5 p.m.

Thornton stressed that this work session is different from the high school financial aid nights that are being held throughout the area. “We certainly hope all parents attend their school’s aid night for an overview of the process, but this workshop is actually a hands-on session completing the form with an expert sitting beside parents to help. Whether parents have a few questions or need line by line assistance completing the form, these experts can help them.”