Financial aid night to help students with options

College can be an imposing thought for students -- where to go, what to study, where to live. But the biggest hurdle facing most students wanting to go to college these days is the rising cost of education.

Matanuska Valley Federal Credit Union is hoping to make the cloudy picture a little more clear for Valley students by hosting Financial Aid Night on Oct. 30 at Palmer High School. From 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., experts will be there talking about options.

From 6:30 p.m. to 7:15 p.m., a general session is offered, with topics covered including the FAFSA financial aid package, and what colleges look for in scholarship applications.

From 7:20 p.m. to 7:40 p.m. and again from 7:45 p.m. to 8:05 p.m., there will be several different workshops presented. Speakers include Christina Campbell from the Alaska Commission on Post Secondary Education, Denise Kinsella from the NCAA, Mari Jo Parks from Finding Your Future, representatives from the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, representatives from the Alaska Career Information System, Ed Gonski of Valley Financial and a panel of local organizations that are offering scholarships.

The evening ends with refreshments and a drawing for a Palm Pilot.

Organizers said a MVFCU financial planner and representatives from the National Guard will be available during the last half hour.

Mat-Su College and the University of Alaska Anchorage will also be represented.