College Goal Sunday, set for Feb. 13, will help with financial and other preparations.

At the same time that current and potential college students get into the Super Bowl spirit, they can gear up for the third annual College Goal Sunday, set for 2 to 4 p.m. Feb. 13.

Students will receive help filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid and learn about planning for college at 31 campuses across the state.

Colleges will have financial aid, admissions, student services, academic and other officials available to answer students' and their families' questions. Students don't have to participate at the college they plan to attend.

Now is a good time to fill out the aid application, which determines eligibility for need-based aid, because scholarship and other financial aid application deadlines are looming, higher education officials said.

"The earlier they fill out their information, the better it is," said Mary Bea Drummond, Oklahoma State University-Tulsa's marketing and public relations director. "They have an opportunity to apply for everything that's available."

Not only is the FAFSA used to decide whether students can obtain federal grants and loans, it also is used to determine eligibility for work study, campus-based aid, certain loans and possibly some scholarships, said Mary Mowdy, executive director of the Oklahoma Guaranteed Student Loan Program.

Two years ago, about 1,000 students participated in Oklahoma's College Goal Sunday, and last year about 1,500 participated, said Donna Spain-Bryant, GEAR UP's public relations coordinator. GEAR UP, or Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs, is a sponsor of the event.

Tulsa-area locations are:

Langston University-Tulsa and OSU-Tulsa, North Hall, Room 130, 700 N. Greenwood Ave.

Northeastern State University-Broken Arrow, Building A, Visitor Center Gallery, 3100 E. New Orleans St., Broken Arrow

Oral Roberts University, Graduate Center, Third Floor, 7777 S. Lewis Ave.

Platt College-Tulsa, Main Entrance, 3801 S. Sheridan Road

Rogers State University, Markham Hall, Second Floor, 1701 W. Will Rogers Blvd., Claremore. Registration encouraged at RSU.

For more locations or more information, go online to www.ogslp.org/CGS/ or call (800) 858-1840.