We appreciate your interest in assisting with FAFSA Day! You may visit the Volunteer link on the left-hand side to register as a volunteer for a location and date most convenient for you.

FAFSA Day Massachusetts, a College Goal Sunday Program, is a non-profit, volunteer-driven program providing free assistance to students and families seeking to complete the FAFSA, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid.

The FAFSA is the federally required form for ALL students seeking federal financial aid for higher education. Students attending college during the 2021-22 academic year, must complete the 2020-21 FAFSA, available after October 1, 2020, at www.fafsa.gov, if they are interested in receiving federal and state financial aid. For a complete overview of the FAFSA application process, we welcome families to watch this video, Understanding the FAFSA, presented by our friends at MEFA (Massachusetts Educational Financing Authority).

Because of COVID-19 concerns, this year’s FAFSA Day Massachusetts events for the upcoming academic year 2021-22 will be held online with scheduled sessions held monthly beginning October 2020 through February 2021. Each event will be hosted by college financial aid professionals and last about hour and a half. Please check our FAFSA Day Dates and Times to register for the best date for you and your family.

Students, families, and adult learners who want help applying for financial aid for the 2021-22 academic year should attend a FAFSA Day Massachusetts virtual event during fall 2020/winter 2021.

Students and parents should EACH of the following available during the online sessions. Students born before January 1, 1998 do not need to bring parental information.

• FSA ID (please sign up and bring both your Student FSA ID and Parent FSA ID, available at fsaid.ed.gov)
  • BE SURE to sign up for your FSA ID prior to FAFSADay! Parent needs a FSA ID as does the Student. Sign up at fsaid.ed.gov in advance of FAFSADay and remember to bring your FSA ID User Name and Password for both parent and student to the event! THIS IS A HUGE TIME SAVER!
• Social Security Number
• Driver’s License Number (if any)
• 2019 Federal Tax Return
• 2019 W-2 or Year-End Pay Stub
• 2019 Untaxed Income Records
• Current Bank Statement(s)
• Current Business and Investment Records
• Alien Registration Card (if not a U.S. Citizen)

A list of documents to bring will also be available in the confirmation email that you will receive less than 10 minutes after you register – please save this for your records.

Yes! In order to attend one of the online information sessions, you will need to register for a scheduled date using the “Click Here to Register” button.

You can click on Click Here to Register on the FAFSA Dates and Times  section on this page for the date most convenient for you.

Many students are not sure if they will be attending right after high school or have been out of high school for some time. By filling out the FAFSA, there is no obligation to attend, nor decide, which college you plan on attending. However, by completing the FAFSA early deadlines will not be missed if you decide later this year to apply to college.

Worry not! If you are not able to attend a FAFSA Day event but need assistance with completing your FAFSA, we encourage you to visit an Educational Opportunity Center (EOC) location in Massachusetts, listed on our Information page. They can provide you with free help on on the college Financial Aid and Admissions processes.

The Educational Opportunity Centers (EOC) program provides counseling and information on college admissions to qualified adults who want to enter or continue a program of postsecondary education. An important objective of EOC is to counsel participants on financial aid options and to assist in the application process. The goal of EOC is to increase the number of adult participants who enroll in postsecondary education institutions.

All services are FREE!

Massachusetts Education and Career Opportunities, Inc.

FAFSA Day Massachusetts a College Goal Sunday program is supported and administered by a volunteer committee comprised of members of the Massachusetts Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (MASFAA), as well as members of various community organizations that work with underserved populations. Funding for the FAFSA Day Massachusetts program comes in part from our various partners: American Student Assistance (ASA), Massachusetts Educational Financing Authority (MEFA), and the Massachusetts Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (MASFAA). 

Be sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter and Instagram for additional tips and tricks on the college Financial Aid and Admissions processes, as well as postings on outside scholarships.

Of course! Be sure to visit the Information page for additional tips and guides including a breakdown on how aid is calculated, myths about financial aid, learning the Admissions and Financial Aid lingo, searching for Outside Scholarship opportunities, and much more!

Anyone interested in learning more about FAFSA Day Massachusetts may email us at fafsaday@gmail.com or call (800) 449-6332 (September to February each year).

Program Background

The College Goal Sunday program was established in 1989 and evolved from a one-time event in Indiana to a national effort including 40 state programs and the District of Columbia and more than 10,000 volunteers assisting students and families in accessing financial aid for college. College Goal Sunday supporters included the Indiana Student Financial Aid Association, the Lilly Endowment, Lumina Foundation and USA Funds.

College Goal Sunday’s national grants to states ended after the 2015-16 school year, but all state programs continue to operate autonomously, some using the CGS name and some under other names such as FAFSA Frenzy or FAFSA Days. Based on the tremendous legacy of College Goal Sunday, in 2016 the National College Access Network launched Form Your Future, a national FAFSA completion campaign intended to increase students’ awareness of financial aid and to rally more communities around FAFSA completion activities. Schools, nonprofit organizations, and government agencies can use the Form Your Future campaign materials for free by visiting www.formyourfuture.org.

Over the past 18 years, over 20,000 Massachusetts residents have been assisted through College Goal Sunday and FAFSA Day events. In the first year, there were 10 sites statewide, and by 2017 there were 34 sites across 33 Massachusetts cities and towns. 320 individual volunteers offered their time and talent.  Similar number of sites and volunteer support continues into this current cycle. Exit surveys prove that it helps the targeted population complete a vital and often difficult task, that volunteer support continues to be vibrant and committed, and the more Massachusetts communities want to initiate their own sites.

If your question has not been answered here, please email us.