Northwest joining FAFSA Day, inviting families to Jan. 25 workshop

Northwest Missouri State University will join universities throughout the state on Jan. 25 by hosting a free event to provide high school students, college students, families and adult learners with one-on-one or small group help to complete and submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

The workshop is 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Jan. 25, in the J.W. Jones Student Union Boardroom. It is open to current Northwest students, high school students in the region who plan to attend Northwest and other high school students who want assistance completing the FAFSA, regardless of the college they plan to attend.

Staff from Northwest’s financial aid office will be on hand to answer questions and assist students and families with completing the FAFSA.

Additionally, two scholarships will be awarded from a drawing of attendees. 

“We’re looking forward to helping Northwest students complete the FAFSA, and we look forward to our public service role as we help any student interested in applying for financial aid to their college of choice,” Charles Mayfield, the director of financial assistance at Northwest, said. “We hope to remove confusion and stress from the FAFSA completion process by providing individual support to students and families who can attend.”

Attendees should bring:

• StudentAid.gov Account Login (student and contributor(s))
• Social Security Numbers (or Alien Registration Number) for student and contributor(s)
• 2023 tax returns
• Record of assets including any child support received; current balances of cash, savings and checking accounts; and net worth of investments, businesses and farms
• List of schools you’re applying to or current school’s name
• Northwest students should bring their University-issued laptop with them; laptops will be available to workshop attendees not enrolled at Northwest. 

Filing a FAFSA is often the first step students must take to apply for financial aid for college. It is the primary form used by federal, state and institutional financial assistance programs in determining an individual’s eligibility for grants, loans, work-study and scholarships.

For individuals applying for enrollment at Northwest, the FAFSA removes other barriers students and their families may encounter when they are required to complete additional applications. It helps determine a student’s eligibility for financial assistance and scholarship opportunities such as the Northwest Promise, which covers 100 percent of tuition and fees for eligible students.

The 2025-26 FAFSA is available now and the Access Missouri Priority deadline to submit it is Monday, Feb. 3.

For information about the Northwest event, contact the Office of Scholarships and Financial Assistance by calling 660.562.1363 or by email at finaid@sxwx168.net. For more information about the FAFSA and a listing of other FAFSA Day locations in Missouri, visit http://mofafsa.org/FAFSADay/.