The Financial Aid Office at Pennsylvania College of Technology is offering free assistance for current and future college students and their families to complete the 2020-21 Free Application for Federal Student Aid.

The college is hosting FAFSA completion sessions on its main campus to assist with the online application. The FAFSA is required by colleges and universities to determine student eligibility for federal and state grants, loans and some scholarships.

The sessions are scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 9, from noon to 2:30 p.m. and Tuesday, Jan. 28, from 4:30 to 7 p.m.

Both sessions will be in Room 1049 of the college’s Student & Administrative Services Center. Students currently enrolled or planning to attend any college or university are invited. Students who are 23 or younger should be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

Most first-time students can complete the FAFSA within 45 minutes. Attendees planning to submit their FAFSA during one of the sessions should create a student and/or parent FSA ID at least three days prior at http://www.studentaid.gov. They should also bring copies of their 2018 financial documents, including federal tax returns, W-2 forms, untaxed income statements, record of child support paid or received, and amount of their current assets.

Financial Aid staff will help student and parent taxpayers use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool, which allows FAFSA filers to electronically transfer federal tax return information into the FAFSA.

“The entire financial aid process can be overwhelming and intimidating,” said David R. Empet, director of financial aid at Penn College. “We are here to help students navigate through this process. There are so many misconceptions regarding financial aid eligibility, and our staff is committed to working with each student, so they can maximize their financial aid opportunities.”

Registration is preferred. For more information and to register, visit http://www.pct.edu/finaid, call the Financial Aid Office at 570-327-4766 or email finaid@pct.edu.

Penn College is a national leader in applied technology education. Visit http://www.pct.edu, email admissions@pct.edu or call toll-free 800-367-9222.