Employees in the financial aid office at Spoon River College will present free workshops at district high schools starting in October with a focus on previewing the changes in the FAFA application.

The major change this year is that the FAFSA application will not be available by October 1 as it has been in the past several years. It is expected to be available mid to late December, and is required by law to be available by January 1, 2024. In addition, all contributors will now be required to have a FAFSA username and password.

Because the application will not be available until December, financial aid staff will be unable to assist attendees with filling out and filing it. Instead, they will help with the creation of usernames and passwords as well as provide an overview of the program and answer questions.  During the spring, visits, staff will once again be able to assist with the FAFSA filing.

Information about other financial assistance programs such as funding for veterans, scholarships, student loans, and payment plans will also be presented, and even those not planning on attending Spoon River College are welcome to attend. These workshops are for students, their parents, and any adult learners who are interested in learning more about options for paying for college.

The schedule for the high school visits is as follows:

Farmington: October 3, 5:30 – 6:30 p.m.

Lewistown: October 4, 6 – 7 p.m.

Canton: October 5, 6 – 7:30 p.m.

Spoon River Valley, October 25, 6 – 7 p.m.

Rushville: October 25, 6 – 7 p.m.

VIT: October 26, 6 – 7 p.m.

Cuba: October 26, 6 – 7p.m.

Macomb: November 6, 6 – 7p.m.

Astoria: November 7, 6 – 7 p.m.

Havana: December 6, 6-7 p.m.

The spring schedule of visits will be available at a later date.

For more information, visit www.src.edu and click on the Financial Aid link under the Student Services tab or call (309) 649-7030 in Canton or (309) 833-6073 in Macomb.