College Fair, Financial Aid Night set for Sept. 28 at MC
The annual Blount County College Fair and Financial Aid Night will be held on Wednesday, Sept. 28, in the Clayton Center for the Arts’ William Baxter Lee III Grand Foyer on the Maryville College campus.
Designed to assist students and their families with two of the most important pieces of the college search process (finding the right college and learning how to pay for it through financial aid), the fair begins at 5:30 and concludes at 7 p.m. It is open to area high school students and their families, even those who live and go to school outside Blount County.
Representatives from nearly 50 colleges, universities, technical schools and art schools are expected to attend the fair, which is coordinated and sponsored by Maryville College as a service to area students and their families.
In addition to Maryville College and each of its nine academic divisions, the following institutions will be represented: Bryan College, Carson-Newman University, Cumberland University, the Douglas J Aveda Institute, East Tennessee State University, Eastern Kentucky University, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Emory & Henry College, Freed-Hardeman University, Kennesaw State University, King University, Lee University, Lees-McRae College, Lincoln Memorial University, Lipscomb University, Middle Tennessee State University, Milligan University, Mississippi State University, Pellissippi State Community College; Randolph College, Roane State, Samford University, South College, Tennessee School of Beauty, Tennessee Tech University, Tennessee Wesleyan University, Trevecca Nazarene University, Tusculum University, Union University, University of Alabama, University of Alabama at Birmingham, University of Kentucky, University of Memphis, University of Mississippi (Ole Miss), University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, University of Tennessee at Knoxville, University of Tennessee, Knoxville Honors and Scholars, University of Tennessee at Martin, University of Tennessee Southern, University of Virginia’s College at Wise, University of South Carolina, Vanderbilt University, Verto Education, Virginia Tech, Warren Wilson College, and Western Carolina University.
Registration is requested and can be completed at maryville.link/bccf.
Following the fair, parents and families are invited to attend Financial Aid Night from 7 p.m. until 8 p.m. in the Lawson Auditorium of Fayerweather Hall. Although presented by Maryville College’s financial aid staff, the session covers general information that will help prospective students and families, regardless of the type of college they are considering.
“While we encourage every student in Blount County and the surrounding area to stop by the Maryville College tables at the fair, we also realize that students have a myriad of interests and needs as they pursue educational opportunities beyond high school,” said Alayne Bowman, Maryville College’s vice president for admissions and financial aid. “We believe it is important for students and their families to be as informed as possible as they navigate through the college search process, and this is what the Blount County College Fair is all about – helping people make informed decisions.”
For more information about the Blount County College Fair, please call the Office of Admissions at 865-981-8092.
Financial Aid Night to focus on financial aid process
During Financial Aid Night, families and students will learn what they need to do to apply for all types of financial aid, including completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which is required to qualify for most student aid programs such as the Tennessee State Grant, Federal Pell Grant, institutional awards and low-cost federal student and parent loans. Terminologies, student eligibility, timelines and information on grants and loans will be explained. From institutional aid to state and federal aid programs, this financial aid primer will help decipher the terms, raise the issues, review best approaches and answer financial aid questions.
Participants also will be briefed on the Tennessee Educational Lottery Scholarship Program, as well as the importance of searching out free money awards like scholarships to help pay for education costs.
“Financial Aid Night is a great opportunity for families to acquire the basic knowledge and skills needed to navigate the financial aid process,” Bowman said. “Sometimes this task can be daunting, and just knowing and understanding the terms, deadlines and types of aid can help assure families that their student is receiving the most financial aid that is available.”
For more information, please call the College’s Office of Financial Aid at 865-981-8100.