HARRISBURG, JANUARY 17, 2007 -- Parents of students planning on heading to college this fall should start filling out the federal forms required for student aid, state Sen. Christine M. Tartaglione said today.

          “A successful college career starts long before high school is over,” Tartaglione said.  “The first step is to fill out the financial aid forms from the federal government.”

          Tartaglione said the “Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) forms are available on line or at her district offices.   The form is used to determine eligibility for all types of federal, state and collegiate-level student aid, including the Pennsylvania State Grant.

The FAFSA form can also be obtained from school counselors, postsecondary schools and the U.S. Department of Education (by calling 800-4-FED-AID). Families may also complete and submit the FAFSA online at www.EducationPlanner.org, or at www.fafsa.ed.gov.

A free tutorial to help families better understand and complete the FAFSA is available at www.EducationPlanner.org. Those filing online will need a Personal Identification Number to serve as their electronic signature. People should visit www.pin.ed.gov to obtain a PIN before completing the FAFSA online.

Once the document is filed, applicants and their chosen schools will receive a Student Aid Report, which details a student's Expected Family Contribution toward their education costs. Families that file electronically should look for the report about a week after filing and those who file in the traditional way can expect to receive the report in a month.

Workshops to assist families in completing the FAFSA will be held throughout Pennsylvania from January through March. To view a complete list of workshops, visit www.PHEAA.org and click on "Plan for College" and then click on "Complete the FAFSA" and "Locations and Registration" in the left-hand navigation bar.

          Tartaglione’s district offices are located at 1061 Bridge Street and 3263 North Front Street in Philadelphia.