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One of the first things college-bound students need to do is complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form. This helps students know how much federal aid eligibility they will have for their education. Georgia Gwinnett College (GGC) has a team of financial aid professionals on campus to assist continuing and new students complete the newly revised form.

The typical time cycle for this process has been upended by glitches in the federal processing system. At the end of 2023, the U.S. Education Department released a streamlined form of FAFSA to make the process less time-consuming and easier for most families. The update was done to encourage more students to apply for college. The new form wasn’t fully available until early January and has created challenges and delays ever since.

“Normally, students would start applying in October and April so we can let our students know how much financial aid eligibility they have,” said Kimberly Jordan, executive director of Financial Aid Services at GGC. “Unfortunately, that hasn’t happened this year. Seventy-eight percent of our students qualify for financial aid, so not knowing could be the difference between continuing their education or not.”

GGC Financial Aid office must have the student’s completed financial aid file, including a FAFSA form and all requested documentation, by July 6 for students to receive notification of their award in time to make tuition payments.

“These delays are stressful for our students and their families,” said Jordan. “We’ve always had dedicated staff on campus and visited area high schools to help students start and complete their FAFSA form. With all the delays and uncertainty from the Education Department, we are opening a FAFSA Completion Center on campus. It’s the first time we’ve needed to do this, but we feel it’s necessary to help our continuing and new students navigate this process.”

The GGC FAFSA Completion Center will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Thursday, from April 22 through June 30. These days and hours are subject to change based on need. The center is located on campus in Building E, Room 2161. Prior to that, students are welcome to go to the financial aid office in the Grizzly Welcome Center, building D.

For more information, visit GGC's financial aid webpage, call 678-407-5000, or email @email.