Government Offers Free Financial Aid To Seniors Heading To College

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- There's less than three weeks left to apply for federal student aid for college. Every year thousands of Maryland seniors don't apply for the free help they're eligible for.

Andrea Fujii explains how students can cash in.

It's just filling out an application, but this could be the difference between going to college or not.

"Me and my family really don't have the money to take me to college, so this form will help me," said Curtis Bright, 12th grader.

Tens of millions of dollars are available through federal student aid or FAFSA. The deadline is March 1.

The nonprofit group Baltimore CASH Campaign is holding free help to fill the form out.

"For low-income students they're less likely to complete these forms, and in this economy 80 percent of jobs require a higher education," said Sara Johnson, Baltimore CASH Campaign.

FAFSA has already helped Yvonne Sinkler's daughter and now it may help her son.

"I hope it's as easy as it was with my daughter, and he gets this money and get on to school," said Sinkler.

The FAFSA application is similar to tax preparation, so the CASH Campaign is helping parents and students do both.

The aid enables students like Curtis Bright -- who says one day he'll be a Maryland senator -- go to college.

"It's been one of my biggest dreams for my life and I couldn't see myself not being in college," said Bright.

This is Financial Aid Awareness Week. This Saturday the CASH Campaign will provide free tax preparation clinics around the city. For more information, click here or call 1-800-492-0618.