Nov 14, 2018

Applying for college and financial aid can be confusing so College of the Mainland employees hosted a Generation Texas Challenge application event to help students and their parents with the process.

 

About 30 students and their parents from Texas City attended the COM Fall Application event held on Saturday, Nov. 3 at the Moore Memorial Library in Texas City.

“Filling out college applications can be overwhelming,” said Tamara Hoodye-Harris, COM’s director of enrollment management. “Then having to complete the FAFSA application online can be an even more daunting task.”

In order to receive federal financial aid, students are required to fill out the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) application annually. Once completed, the results of the application will determine if students receive grants, student loans, scholarships or other aid.

At College of the Mainland, administrators have found that some students who qualify for financial aid are not receiving it because they find the FAFSA too cumbersome and time consuming and don’t complete it.

“We wanted to set up a time for students and parents in the community to alike to get assistance and us answer any questions they may have with filling out the ApplyTexas college application and the FAFSA,” Hoodye-Harris said. “We know the FAFSA can be challenging and the last thing we want is for a student or parent to be discouraged from applying.”

The Generation Texas Challenge hosted by COM was held in conjunction the Texas High Education Coordinating Board’s statewide College Application and Financial Aid Awareness campaign and the nationwide American College Application Campaign® (ACAC) initiative as well as the 60x30TX Texas Challenge to Reach Higher efforts. The campaign is aimed at encouraging students to complete a college application and FAFSA when the applications for 2019-20 academic year become available.

College of the Mainland staff members are planning to host a similar event. COM administrators are available to assist with the college application and FASFA process. Anyone needing assistance can call Hoodye-Harris at 409-933-8523 or reach her at thoodye@com.edu.