Cape Central High School offers FAFSA assistance to seniors and families

Cape Girardeau Central High School will host a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) event Wednesday, Jan. 15, to aid senior students and their families with the application process.

The event will run from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. at Cape Central’s library. With the new, simplified form, the process typically takes 15 to 20 minutes, but attendees should be prepared in case technical issues arise.

This is the fifth year the school has hosted the event that was spearheaded by Central college and career adviser Nancy Strothmann.

“It's really helpful, especially for families,” Strothmann said. “Computer technology is scary, and state and federal forms are very overwhelming. I mean, they're very overwhelming for educated individuals, so imagine our families that you know have disabilities or are first generation or they struggle with completing forms. This way they have someone that can help them one on one so that their kids don't miss out on an opportunity to receive aid for college.”

Strothmann is a first-generation American whose family immigrated from Cuba. After graduating from high school in Kentucky, she had planned to work and save money to attend college eventually. She ran into one of her teachers after graduation, and after telling them her plan, they assisted her with the FAFSA process. Strothmann explained that there are still many prospective students and families in the country who aren’t aware of the options they have when seeking higher education — whether that’s attending a university, community college, trade or technical school.

“I don't want our kids to miss out on opportunities because they didn't know it existed,” Strothmann said. “They may not know that there is a Pell Grant that they might qualify for, or the Missouri Access Grant, or federal student loans. Educating them on loans and being responsible, I think it's really important because I feel like it takes a village to raise our kids.”

Each applicant requires a Federal Student Aid (FSA) ID for themselves and their guardians, which can be applied for online. It takes between one and three days for the United States Social Security Administration to verify each request, and families are encouraged to apply for theirs as soon as possible so they will have it available for the event.

Students who attend should also come prepared with their W2s and tax returns from 2023 — both the students’, if they worked, and the parents’ — as well as their Social Security numbers and Chromebook.

Business education teacher Theresa Taylor encourages each student who plans to seek higher education of any kind to apply for federal aid as soon as they can.

“The Missouri deadline is Feb. 1,” Taylor said. “That's important because Missouri also has some grant money available, and you have to meet that deadline to get it. Grant money is limited to Missouri high school seniors that are going to a Missouri college that fill it out by Feb. 1. A lot of the colleges give scholarships, and they require the FAFSA to be done by March 1.”

For more information about the FAFSA event or to schedule a one-on-one appointment for assistance with filling out federal aid applications, contact Strothmann at (573) 335-8228 or by email at strothmannn@capetigers.com, and Taylor at taylort@capetigers.com.