FAFSA ‘Drive-In’ at PCC Set for April 24

WINTERVILLE—Pitt Community College will host a “Drive-In to Your Future” event on campus this month to help high school seniors and current college students complete Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) forms.

Set for April 24, the drive-in will take place in the Craig F. Goess Student Center’s south parking lot from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Free Wi-Fi will be provided, but participants must bring their personal mobile devices or laptops to the event fully charged to complete a FAFSA.

PCC Financial Aid Director Lee Bray says the drive-in offers students and their families a chance to fill out FAFSAs from the safety of their vehicles. Financial aid personnel will be available throughout the program to offer participants free, one-on-one assistance, she said, adding that they will be following pandemic safety protocols.

“The FAFSA is the first step to free or affordable college for North Carolina students,” Bray said. “While progress is being made, FAFSA completions in North Carolina are still down seven percent statewide, compared to this same time last year.”

Bray said recent financial aid data shows only 43 percent of North Carolina students have completed a FAFSA for the upcoming academic year.

Sponsored by myFutureNC, in partnership with College Foundation of North Carolina and GEAR Up North Carolina, “Drive-In to Your Future” programs highlight the importance of completing FAFSAs and the steps necessary to enroll in college in the fall. In 2020, North Carolina students left an estimated $107 million in federal financial aid on the table by not filling out FAFSAs.

MyFutureNC is a statewide nonprofit comprised of education, business and government leaders dedicated to closing the state’s educational attainment gap. In 2019, the organization set a goal to ensure two million 25- to 44-year-olds in North Carolina have a high-quality postsecondary credential or degree by 2030.

This month’s drive-in at PCC is part of myFutureNC’s “NC First in FAFSA” initiative, which seeks to increase the number of high school seniors who complete FAFSA forms. Students who complete the application are more likely to enroll in higher education, persist in their college coursework, and obtain a degree.

Pitt will be one of 12 sites in the state hosting a “Drive-In to Your Future” event on April 24.

04/19/2021