In a world where going to college is getting harder and more expensive every year, College Goal Oregon is here to help.  An event designed to connect today's students and their families with the financial aid dollars currently available to them is scheduled for Saturday, January 20, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 15 different locations throughout Oregon.  Anyone interested in dropping in during a College Goal Oregon workshop should begin gathering the paperwork necessary to apply for financial aid dollars. 

College Goal Oregon is supported by the host colleges, the Oregon Association of Financial Aid Advisors, the Oregon Student Assistance Commission, and other partners.  To encourage attendance, each location is offering a chance to win a $500 scholarship or a computer flash drive.

At each site, students and their parents will receive help completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Workshops on how to search, apply and compete for scholarships, with an emphasis on the Oregon Student Assistance Commission Scholarship Application, will also be available. 

Those attending should bring:
* Yourself, and for dependent students ― a parent if possible
* Most recent completed federal tax return. If you haven't completed your taxes yet, estimate ­― you can send in exact numbers later
* Current tax information (2006 W2) or your most recent pay stub
* Current value of assets, including cash, checking, savings, investments, and value of business/farm
* Social Security numbers of student and parents
* Driver's license (if any)
* Alien registration card (if you are not a U.S. citizen)
* Any questions you may have about financial aid

The event will be held at the following 15 locations: four Portland Community College locations, Central Oregon Community College-Redmond, Columbia Gorge Community College-Hood River, Columbia Gorge Community College-The Dalles, Chemeketa Community College, Eastern Oregon University, Lane Community College, Klamath Community College, Rogue Community College-Redwood, Rogue Community College-Riverside, Southwestern Oregon Community College, and Tillamook Bay Community College.

This event is part of the national College Goal Sunday program aimed at helping students in need of financial aid. The program started in Indiana in 1989 and has spread to more than 30 states. By 2008, all but three states will be involved. Participating states receive three-year grants from the Lumina Foundation for Education. 

For directions to a site, information about volunteering, or more information about College Goal Oregon and financial aid, visit www.collegegoaloregon.org. This site is available in Spanish at http://www.collegegoaloregon.org/es/index.html.