Some North Dakotans spent Sunday afternoon watching sports.

In the amount of time it took to watch a game, a couple hundred high school seniors and their parents helped pay for college. It was the first College Goal Sunday in North Dakota. The national program is an effort to help families fill out the application that makes them eligible for different types of financial aid that can help pay for college.

"When they walk away, it should be complete,"said College Goal Sunday representative Brenda Zastoupil.

Parents and students filled out the free application for federal student aid, which is required for federal student loans and many grants and scholarships. It takes about a half-hour to 45 minutes to go through the worksheets and fill out the form online.

In the Bismarck High School Kaarlsgard Gym, and at seven other sites across the state, volunteers were on hand to help get families through the process.

"I think this was great,"Michelle Grunefelder said.

Her daughter, Shanae, a senior at Century High School, is considering applying to the University of Mary or Concordia College. She was nervous about filling out the form, Michelle Grunefelder said, because if it's filled out incorrectly it could affect the amount of financial aid she receives.

The FAFSA form uses tax and income data to determine financial need. Ideally, taxes are completed before filling out the form; otherwise, estimates are entered. About two-thirds of the form are tax- and income-related questions.

After the FAFSA form is submitted, a student aid report is sent back for the family to review the entries. Changes can be made to this form. Then it is sent back, and the institution that it was sent to can make final financial aid determinations.

Each state has filing deadlines for state and college grants and scholarships. In North Dakota, this deadline is March 15. If people file an application after the deadline, they are still eligible for federal Pell grants, if they qualify; and federal student loans.

Some families at the event Sunday have previously filled out the form. Bismarck parent Judy Steiner came with her daughter Brianna in case there were any changes to the FAFSA form.

"It all seems the same," Steiner said.

It feels routine to her now, but that's different from the first time she filled out the form.

"It was kind of scary," she said. "I didn't know what I was getting into."

The form turned out to be easier than she thought, guiding her step by step.

For people who couldn't make it to the event Sunday, but want some help filling out the form, there is help. High school counselors and college financial aid offices can help students with questions about the FAFSA form, Zastoupil said.

(Reach reporter Sara Kincaid at 250-8251 or sara.kincaid@bismarcktribune.com.)