JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (Jan. 31, 2022) – February is Financial Aid Awareness Month, and the East Tennessee State University community wants current and potential students to know about the resources available to them.
“The financial aid process may seem intimidating,” said Catherine Morgan, director
of the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships at ETSU. “Here at ETSU, we have dedicated experts, as well as online tools, to help
you succeed.”
Filing the 2022-2023 Free Application for Federal Student Aid, also known as the FAFSA, is the critical first step, officials said. The FAFSA is
a student’s gateway to all federal financial aid, as well as the starting point for
many other funding opportunities.
For free assistance submitting the FAFSA, students living in the Tennessee counties
of Carter, Greene, Hawkins, Johnson, Sullivan, Unicoi or Washington have access to
the Educational Opportunity Center. New participants must complete a short application,
which may be found at etsu.edu/academicaffairs/trio/eoc. Students may also call 423-392-8041.
“Filing the FAFSA is so very important, especially because some funding is limited
and operates on a first-come, first-served basis,” said Becky Stout, associate director
of Education Outreach Programs at ETSU. “We have staff on hand ready to assist you.”
Financial Aid and Scholarships also offers a 24/7 “chatbot” service named Bucky, as
well as Financial Aid TV. In addition, ETSU provides students a personal financial
aid counselor. These resources and more are available at etsu.edu/financial-aid-and-scholarships.
Current and admitted ETSU students should also complete the 2022-2023 University Scholarship
Application. When you submit it, you put yourself in the running for many different
scholarships. Submit the application at etsu.edu/university_scholarships/application/. The deadline is March 1.
Students should regularly monitor their ETSU email for important updates and reminders.
Doing so can help ensure a smoother financial aid process, officials said.