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| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
| State Rep. Joe Petrarca |
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Petrarca: PHEAA offers free FAFSA completion sessions
Sessions scheduled for Westmoreland, Armstrong counties
HARRISBURG, Feb. 16 – State Rep. Joe Petrarca, D-Westmoreland/Armstrong, announced that the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency is offering families with students planning on attending college during the 2012-13 academic year free “FAFSA completion sessions.”
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid is the federal form all families must submit to determine eligibility for almost all forms of need-based financial assistance, including the Pennsylvania State Grant, the federal Pell Grant, work-study programs, many scholarships and school-based aid, and low-cost federal student loans.
“Many families struggle to find money for their child’s higher education,” Petrarca said. “As a result, PHEAA is providing free sessions for filling out the FAFSA, which will help reduce out-of-pocket expenses.
“I understand that applying for FAFSA can be a difficult process, some questions may even seem foreign,” Petrarca said. “That is why I believe it is important for families and college-bound students to attend. They will have the opportunity to ask questions about FAFSA, monetary and other issues pertaining to individual situations, and receive help from representatives from the organization.”
Petrarca said additional sessions may be scheduled at a later date but the current sessions being offered are:
· 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday in the computer lab, Norwin Public Library, 100 Caruthers Lane, Irwin. Pre-registration is Mandatory, 724-744-0305;
· 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Feb. 28 in McKenna Hall, Room 136, University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg, 150 Finoli Drive, Greensburg. Pre-registration is preferred, 724-836-9881;
o Snow Date: 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. March 6;
· 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. March 27 in McKenna Hall, Room 136, University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg, 150 Finoli Drive, Greensburg. Pre-registration is preferred, 724-836-9881;
o Snow Date: 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. April 3.
Petrarca said families can access frequently asked questions, overviews, preparation worksheets, and links to an online application at www.PHEAA.org/fafsa.
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