WILLIAMS REMINDS THAT FAFSA ASSISTANCE IS AVAILABLE FOR FREE

 HARRISBURG, JAN. 31 – State Sen. Connie Williams reminds students and their families that there are numerous free opportunities to obtain help with completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, and suggested college bound students and their families think twice about responding to solicitations from organizations offering assistance for a fee.

 The FAFSA is the first step for all types of student loans and grants on the federal and state level. Assistance is available for free by visiting www.PHEAA.org/fafsa or at free FAFSA Completion workshops taking place through March.

 "Families should be wary of unsolicited e-mails, letters or telephone calls from organizations that charge a fee for completing the free application," Williams said. "With the Internet and a good reference section in a local library, students and their families have the same access to information about grant and scholarship opportunities as these groups. Why pay up to a $100 or more for something that can be found for free?"

 Some tactics to watch for:

1. Companies that charge a fee to provide a list of scholarship possibilities.

2. Companies that claim that their information isn't available anywhere else (a searchable scholarship database is available at www.EducationPlanner.org.)

3. Companies that request a credit card or bank account number to "hold" financial aid dollars for the student.

4. Companies or organizations that request money claiming that the student is a finalist in a scholarship contest (scholarships are not contests).

5. High pressure sales pitches, such as "act now or lose out on this opportunity."