Tiara Bland is taking Advanced Placement English with Ms. O'Connor. Compared to the difficulty of that class, the Randallstown High School student didn't expect the financial aid forms for college to be much trouble.

But with scholarships at stake, the 17-year-old's mother was glad yesterday to have an expert looking over the federal form.

"It's a little bit complicated when you get to the tax questions," said Marian Bland.

On the plus side, said Tiara Bland, "At least you don't have to study for it."

The mother and daughter from Pikesville were among the hundreds of parents and students who received assistance yesterday during "College Goal Sunday" in Maryland, Washington and Delaware, sponsored by USA Funds and funded through grants from Lumina Foundation for Education, American Student Assistance, and EdFUND.

The event - in its seventh year - offers expertise and computer access to families completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form, a nearly universal perquisite by private and public colleges and universities who review it when deciding which students will qualify for scholarship, loans and work study programs.

Publicity about the event also helps remind students that they need to complete the application soon, because the deadline for Maryland students is March 1.

By completing the FAFSA form, students will automatically be considered for Maryland's Educational Assistance Grant, said Sue Koch, a program specialist for the Maryland Higher Education Commission. But students must fill out additional paperwork for the state's Guaranteed Access Grant and apply directly to their local lawmakers to be considered for scholarships offered by state senators and delegates, Koch said.

Even students whose families might exceed the income limits for federal student grants and loans need to complete the FAFSA paperwork, said Margaret Bowler, a financial aid officer at the Community College of Baltimore County in Catonsville, where the Blands completed the form yesterday.

Completing the FAFSA, a four-page document that resembles a tax form, can take several hours.

The financial information requested in the application also requires families to have completed their tax returns, which aren't due for more than a month after the FAFSA deadline.

Nancy Buck, whose daughter Natalie is a senior at Lansdowne High School, was struggling to answer financial questions on the FAFSA. And with two older daughters also studying at CCBC, the mother was looking for any assistance available.

She asked Natalie, who wants to attend CCBC in the fall and eventually study nursing, to call the school about some of the questions and a staff member told her about the workshop. "This was a godsend," said Nancy Buck, a nursing assistant.

In the Baltimore area, College Goal Sunday events were held at Goucher College in Towson, Anne Arundel Community College and at the University of Maryland, Baltimore. There were a total of 15 locations in Maryland, three in Delaware and one in Washington, according to event organizers.

An estimated 1,200 students filled out financial aid forms as part of yesterday's event, said Karen Tong, who served as a spokeswoman for College Goal Sunday.

Many students will have to wait until spring, when most colleges and universities send out scholarship and financial aid offers, according to Bowler. But some students eligible for federal grants who complete the forms online might know immediately whether they're likely to receive tuition help.

Tiara Bland, who wants to attend Spellman College and study early-childhood education, was one of the students who received good news. She appears likely to receive one of the federal grants for school.

She and her mother were all smiles as volunteer Charquese Fletcher, a CCBC student who works in the financial aid office, gave Tiara her confirmation number.

"Really?" she said. "That's it?"

laura.barnhardt@baltsun.com

For more information: www.go2goal.org, or www.mhec.state.md.us and click on "student financial assistance," or call the college or university you or your child wants to attend.