Bedford Area School District

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is now open! Students planning to attend a post secondary program starting in the fall of 2026 can complete the FAFSA at studentaid.gov. 

We will be hosting a Financial Aid & FAFSA Completion Day on Saturday, November 15th, 2025. The first half of the presentation will be an information session on financial aid for college and technical schools. The second half of the morning will be an opportunity for your child to complete his/her FAFSA. This application is used to earn grants and loans through the federal government. It is also required by most schools for students to be eligible for any other school-based scholarships or financial aid. This presentation is presented by PHEAA, the PA Higher Education Assistance Agency. Laura Papcunik, our PHEAA rep, will be here to help you complete the application and answer your questions. We recommend that all students planning to go to a college/tech school and a parent/guardian attend this presentation.

It is very important that students and parent(s) create a studentaid.gov account at least a week prior to coming to our completion day. If you do not have your accounts created beforehand, you will not be able to complete the FAFSA during our completion day event.

Who: College/technical school bound seniors and a parent/guardian
When: Saturday, Nov 15, 2025 from 9:00 am - noon
Where: Bedford Middle School Library

Please bring with you:
• A copy your 2024 taxes (parent and student)
• A student Studentaid.gov Account (can be created at studentaid.gov)
• Parent(s) Studentaid.gov Account (The student will invite a parent, then that parent can invite any additional parent(s))
• Current balance of savings, cash, and checking accounts
• Student and Parent Cell Phones (for two factor identification and email access)

If you are unable to attend on the 15th, below are additional FAFSA Completion events:

Chestnut Ridge HS: The morning of November 29th, 2025. Please call CRHS Counselor, Julia Evans to reserve your spot. Limited Availability.

Bedford County Technical Center: November 24th from 1:00-7:00 pm. You do not need to register in advance.

Mount Aloysius College: The Mount is offering students who plan to attend ANY college the opportunity to complete the FAFSA with their financial aid team. They are offering at least one event in October, November and December. Visit this link to register: https://apply.mtaloy.edu/portal/fafsa_completion_nights

Attending any of the workshops will count toward the requirements for the senior graduation project.

We hope to see you on the 15th!

Emily Barkman and Krista Maola
School Counselors