Free food, live music, experts FAFSA help, and a chance to win a scholarship all are on tap at the FAFSA Night set for Wed., Aug. 7.
Graduates of Bay and Arenac high schools are invited to the FAFSA night at the Delta College Planetarium, 100 Center Ave., from 4 to 7 p.m. Wed., Aug. 7.
The
Bay Area Community Foundation in partnership with the
Bay City Public Schools and the
Bay-Arenac ISD received a grant through the
Michigan College Access Network to fund the free event, which is open to anyone who graduated in 2024 and earlier from a Bay or Arenac county high school.
FAFSA, which stands for Free Application for Federal Student Aid, is the largest provider of financial aid for colleges in the United States. Students must complete a FAFSA form to apply for state and federal grants, work-study funds, and loans. In addition, many colleges use FAFSA information to determine eligibility for school aid.
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Completing FAFSA, though, can be intimidating for first timers, says John Folsom, Western High School Assistant Principal and one of the organizers of the event.
Once families dive in and fill out the form, they realize it isn’t so bad, he says.
“I think it’s this aura of it’s the FAFSA, it’s this big thing,” Folsom says. “It raises people’s anxiety. How do I do it? Who helps me?”
Plenty of help will be available at the FAFSA night.
“We will have FAFSA experts on hand on the 7th,” he says. “We’ll have admissions advisers from local universities on hand to help students finish their FAFSA.”
Even before the event, FAFSA experts will be contacting recent graduates who have not completed the form, he adds.
“FAFSA experts will reach out to kids who haven’t finished FAFSA,” he says. “If they can solve it over the phone, they will. If they need to be seen, they will encourage those students to come on Aug. 7.”
The evening isn’t all work.
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Ashley BrownThe Delta College Planetarium is a landmark building in downtown Bay City. (Photo Credit: Ashley Brown)“We picked the night intentionally because in Bay City they have the Wednesdays in the Park concerts,” he says.
Food trucks will be lined up near the park. The Classic Women of Country concert begins at 7 p.m. Wed., Aug. 7.
“If they want to make it a family night, they can,” Folsom says.
Registration is not required but encouraged – register at
www.bayfoundation.org.
It's also rewarded.
The first 100 students who register for the event will receive a $10 food truck voucher; $10 gas card; and up to three free Kona Ice per family.
Any Bay or Arenac County student who registers for the event and completes their FAFSA by Mon., Aug. 12 will be entered to win a college scholarship from the Bay Area Community Foundation.
“The Bay Area Community Foundation is dedicated to ensuring that every student can pursue higher education without financial barriers. By providing resources and support, our goal is to make the FAFSA and college application process as accessible and enjoyable as possible," said Diane Mahoney, President & CEO of the Bay Area Community Foundation.
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