FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                     Contact: Marc R. Pacheco

January 29, 2009                                                                             617-722-1551

 

Senator Pacheco Urges Constituents to Apply for Financial Aid to Help Pay for College

 Boston, MA – Senator Marc R. Pacheco (D-Taunton) wants students and their families to know that help paying for college is available, particularly through free assistance from TERI (The Education Resources Institute).  

Federal and state governments, along with colleges and universities, are the major sources of financial aid. Students begin the process of applying for both federal and state aid by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FASFA). This document is available online at www.fasfa.ed.gov. Many private colleges and universities also require a second form, the CSS PROFILE ®, which is available at the College Board’s website: www.collegeboard.com.

 To receive free guidance on identifying sources of financial aid and completing applications, students and families throughout Massachusetts may call TERI’s toll-free information hotline at 1-877-332-4348 or visit one of TERI’s nine College Planning Centers in Boston, Brockton, and Chelsea, MA. For hours of operation of TERI’s Centers, visit www.tericollegeplannin.org. TERI’s hotline is made available through a partnership among the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education, the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission, and TERI. All TERI College Planning Center and Educational Opportunity services are free.

 Other sources of information regarding financial aid programs, including scholarships, grants, etc. are the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education Office of Student Financial Assistance website: www.osfa.mass.edu and the Massachusetts Educational Financing Authority website: www.mefa.org.

 Senator Marc R. Pacheco urges students and families to begin the application process as soon as possible. If you have any further questions regarding the application process, please contact Amanda in my Boston office at 617-722-1551.