Even Mother Nature can’t dampen the success of the 4th annual Massachusetts College Goal Sunday! Snow showers in Western Mass, or Winter Storm Warnings on the Cape weren’t enough to keep over 1400 students and their families from braving the latest New England storm to attend College Goal Sunday on January 27, 2008. College Goal Sunday continued a significant and substantial growth of 44% of students/families and total attendance by 49%.

More than 300 volunteers helped families get much needed FAFSA assistance at 22 locations from Cape Cod to Lynn to Athol to Pittsfield. Approximately 60% of those volunteers are MASFAA members. But with a total membership boasting nearly 900, we can still do better. Despite the significant number of volunteers, many are support volunteers and more FAFSA experts are needed, say site coordinators.

Overall awareness continued to increase this year with CGS being highlighted at high school financial aid nights from Cape Cod to Pittsfield, multiple high-profile television and radio interviews and news stories, dozens of TV and radio stations airing the Public Service Announcement and countless print articles.

Massachusetts joined six other states in hosting the first CGS programs for 2008 on Sunday, January 27. Twenty other states will hold programs on February 10th. Four more states will hold programs on February 17th and five more states will close out CGS programs on February 24th and March 2nd.

There were other storms that CGS weathered as well. The lender issues caused concern about continued support for CGS nationwide. Efforts were rallied to convey the importance of this charitable event as legislation was being crafted. “These efforts were very successful as College Goal Sunday has been mentioned in a committee report to accompany S1642 that it be exempt from lender-funded prohibitions. The NY State Attorney General’s Office is also satisfied that College Goal Sunday is not in violation of any unethical practices. From the beginning, College Goal Sunday has operated with the highest of standards, keeping the families it serves as the top priority,” writes Marcia Weston, Director of College Goal Sunday Operations with NASFAA.

Massachusetts welcomes two New England neighbors into the College Goal Sunday family as Rhode Island and Connecticut implemented programs on January 27th and February 10th respectively.

Christopher Penn, of the Financial Aid Podcast, said, “[College Goal Sunday is] an opportunity that doesn’t come along very often, the chance to make a direct, concrete, positive difference in many lives in just a few hours, so when it comes around, I’m happy to step up and see just what I can do. I always leave College Goal Sunday with a renewed sense of optimism and energy about being in the financial aid world. The past year wasn’t necessarily a great one for financial aid professionals in the media, but just one afternoon can brush all of that away and remind you that our profession is a worthy one, and the work that we do can immediately change lives for the better.”

On behalf of the College Goal Sunday Steering Committee and Site Coordinators throughout the state, thanks to the hundreds of volunteers who made this year’s College Goal Sunday such a success. We look forward to seeing you again next year.