Workshop helps college applicants with financial-aid forms

In the midst of a faltering economy, Seattle's Katie Douglas said work has been slow in coming for her husband, a contractor. "People aren't spending money, so he doesn't make money," she said.

That's why Douglas, whose 21-year-old son attends Seattle Central Community College, was among 30 or so people crowding a campus computer lab Sunday, trying to put their hopes before their fears at a workshop aimed at students and families applying for college financial aid.

"I don't know if I'd be doing this a year ago," Douglas said. "Probably not."

The event was the third annual College Goal Sunday, a national effort sponsored locally by Northwest Education Loan Association (NELA) and Lumina Foundation for Education. With 20 statewide sites compared with last year's 14, sponsors expected the overall number of those seeking help in filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to exceed 200 statewide.

Because of the ongoing recession, the event took on added importance.

"We do have families who are concerned with that issue, because their investments have been hit hard," said Tiffany Jones of NELA, which administers federal loan programs. "We're seeing new folks come to the table."

Most students rely on financial aid to attend college. A year at an in-state college can run about $20,000 annually — and more than twice that at private four-year colleges. Every year, Jones said, expenses rise another 6 to 7 percent.

"My fear is that people will not think of college as an option because they're looking at the costs," said Brigid McDevitt, Seattle Central's dean of student resources and support. "It's kind of sticker shock."

"If you're thinking about cutbacks, you're not going to cut back on necessities," Jones said. "So students are having to make decisions: Should I go to community college first? Or — maybe I don't go to my first-choice school."

Sunday's volunteers also represented schools such as Seattle Vocational Institute, Seattle University and the University of Washington.

Among those seeking guidance was Gena McKahan, a hospital emergency-room technician hoping to attend Seattle Central. McKahan, 24, said she was denied financial aid this quarter because she earns too much, but at the same time her salary is scarcely enough to afford much beyond rent and car payments.

"That's why I'm not going to school right now," she said. "At the end of the month, I have maybe 50 bucks."

Because of the recession, she's unable to work the extra hours that could help put more money in her pocket. On Sunday, she hoped a little extra guidance might aid her reapplication process.

Advocates say a common refrain heard from students and parents is that they're afraid they won't qualify. "Students always ask me, what's the secret to getting aid?" McDevitt said. "Well, it's to apply."

And with some college deadlines of Feb. 1, time was of the essence. Organizers especially hoped to reach students from families with primary languages other than English, and a multilingual volunteer staff was on hand to help them, line by line, through the FAFSA process.

Marc Ramirez: 206-464-8102 or mramirez@seattletimes.com