Naugatuck Valley Community College hosted the annual “College Goal Sunday” on January 25, 2015 from 1:30-4:30 pm. The event has been held for the last three years here at Naugatuck Valley Community College.  Dean of Student Services, Sarah Gager commented that, “The College welcomes the opportunity to host College Goal Sunday each year in support of all students looking to continue their academic studies at an institution of higher education.  By participating in this event, these students are taking an important initiative towards achieving their academic goals.” 

Open to the entire College service area, it is intended to provide information and guidance to help students complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). For prospective students and parents who have not been through the process before, filling out the FASFA can prove a daunting and often confusing task. NVCC partners with the foundations that produce the event in order to support all students in the service area and encourage them to apply for financial aid. 

Upon arriving, attendees were assigned a volunteer financial aid staffer who walked them through the financial aid process. Sixty-three students from the NVCC service area attended. NVCC staff members generously volunteered their time to assist students in this process. Volunteers came from the Financial Aid Office, Student Activities, Danbury campus, WAVE, CT Community Scholars and the Advanced Manufacturing Technology Center Recruitment and Retention area. 

In addition, we had a number of financial aid administrators from other community colleges and private universities assisting the students in the completion of the FAFSA. “College Goal Sunday is an annual national event that allows us to assist students and parents in completing the FAFSA in order to continue with their education,” said Cathy Hardy, Director of Financial Aid and Veterans’ Affairs.

Two $100 scholarships funded by the National College Goal Sunday Committee were awarded through a door raffle where the names of two students and two alternates were drawn.  The student names are forwarded and then are notified by the CT Statewide College Goal Sunday committee.

College Goal Sunday was funded and sponsored by Lumina Foundation for Education, the CT Association of Professional Financial Aid Administrators (CAPFAA), the CT Association of Educational Opportunity Programs (CAEOP), and the YMCA’s of Connecticut.

The national event was held at multiple locations statewide. For more information call 1(888) 277-2270 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..