Beaufort County Community College financial aid officers and specialists will be available 9 a.m. to noon at BCCC Saturday, Feb. 23, to help high school seniors and their families complete the necessary paperwork to qualify for financial aid to attend college during the 2013-2014 academic year.

The event at BCCC is one of some 300 Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, Day programs across North Carolina scheduled for that day.

The purpose of FAFSA Day is to help high school seniors and families complete and submit their FAFSA form, a requirement for students to be considered for all federal and most state financial aid for college, including grants and scholarships from the BCCC Foundation.

This year’s statewide FAFSA Day is sponsored by College Foundation of North Carolina, the North Carolina Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators and the State Employees’ Credit Union.

Preregistration is strongly encouraged, according to Harold Smith, director of Financial Aid for BCCC. Registration is available at CFNC.org/FAFSAday or by calling 866-866-CFNC toll-free.

In order to be fully prepared to complete the FAFSA on Feb. 23, event participants should either file their 2012 federal taxes in advance or bring the following items to FAFSA Day:

• Both the student’s and parents’ federal 1040 tax forms for 2012 (or W-2 forms and other income and asset documents if completed tax forms are not available);

•  The student’s and one parent’s Personal Identification Numbers (PINs) obtained in advance from the U.S. Department of Education website, www.pin.ed.gov;

• A FAFSA on the Web Worksheet with as much information entered as possible. The online worksheet is available at www.fafsa.gov.

“It’s important to complete the FAFSA early to take advantage of all of the financial aid opportunities available for North Carolinians,” said Robbie Schultz, CFNC coordinator of FAFSA Day.  “Students and parents don’t need to worry if they aren’t sure how to answer all of the questions on the form.  That’s why we have arranged to have experienced financial aid specialists to help at the BCCC FAFSA Day.”

Financial aid specialists and experts are also available to answer specific FAFSA questions on the CFNC toll-free number, 866-866-2362 from 5 to 8 p.m. every Tuesday in February.

Information on financial aid and FAFSA requirements is also available on the BCCC website at www.beaufortccc.edu.

For more information about FAFSA Day at BCCC, interested persons may contact the BCCC Financial Aid Office at 252-940-6222.