Parents invited to learn about college financial aid

The Daily Inter Lake

Columbia Falls High School counselors will offer a redo of Financial Aid Night, now planned for 6:30 p.m. Jan. 17 in the high school's Launer Library.

A blizzard kept many people away from the first event, held Dec. 4.

To widen the audience beyond December's sparse crowd, the counselors will present the information again Tuesday as part of their annual effort to help high-school seniors and their parents find the resources for college.

Counselors Terry Guidi, Barbara Norlander and Doug Cordier will discuss the financial aid application process, deadlines, scholarships, grants, loans, student employment and more.

Cordier stressed the importance of the information to college-bound seniors and their families. Financial assistance is available, but only if forms are filled out and deadlines are met, he said.

The meeting will help families make sense of the mass of financial information families receive, not all of which is accurate, he said.

"Most of the misinformation 'out there' is innocently offered," Cordier said. "However, there are individuals who purposely mislead unknowing families for their own financial gain."

Printed information on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid and a wide range of other important college financial aid issues will be available.

Call one of the counselors at the high school at 862-6500.