LYNN – With deadlines for submitting college applications approaching, filling out complicated financial aid forms can be a stressful burden for future students, especially first-generation college applicants and those from low-income families.For students living in the Lynn area, help will be available on Sunday, Jan. 27 when the fourth annual Massachusetts College Goal Sunday takes place at North Shore Community College.College Goal Sunday is a volunteer-driven effort to provide free assistance to college-bound students and their families to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), the federal application for financial aid. The 2008 deadline for filing a FAFSA application is May 1.The event is designed to provide help to students who may otherwise avoid attending college or seeking financial aid because the process is too complicated, or they have trouble reading or speaking English.The American Council on Education estimates that there are more than 1.5 million undergraduates annually who do not file a FAFSA form that would qualify for financial aid. Students attending community colleges are the least likely to apply for aid, and non-traditional college students (undergraduates who are aged 24 or older, married, parents of dependent children, veterans, etc.) are less likely to apply for financial aid than students applying for college immediately after high school.This research indicates that a substantial number of students are missing out on the opportunity to receive federal, state and institutional aid to help pay for college, and that more outreach is needed to inform students about the availability of financial aid and the application process.Students of all ages are encouraged to attend the seminar, where they will receive personal assistance in properly filling out and mailing these forms.”We are very concerned about getting financial aid to the people that need it the most. That is low-income, first generation college students, many of whom may be too intimidated to file these forms,” said Paul Lynskey, Co-Chair of the Massachusetts branch of College Goal Sunday. “We are also doing this so that people can avoid other organizations that may charge fees for this service. Oftentimes, families will be solicited while applying for colleges, which can also be intimidating.”College Goal Sunday is a nationwide organization funded by the Lumin Education Foundation in Indiana. In Massachusetts, over 300 volunteers will hold a total of 22 seminars on College Goal Sunday. In addition to Lynn, other area seminars will be held at ROCA in Chelsea and at the Boston Public Library.Starting out with a modest showing of 700 students in 2004, the seminars have grown substantially since the inaugural year as over 2,000 students received help on their applications in 2007. The projected numbers in 2008 are even higher, as volunteers are preparing for a 40- 50 percent increase in attendance this year.”This process would be intimidating to you or I or people that have a background of attending college, let alone someone who has never attempted this before,” said Lynskey. “The biggest challenges that these students face are the perceived barriers they have when attempting to apply for help.”All of the proper application forms will be provided by the organization at the seminar, but Lynskey said it would help volunteers if students had a 2006 or 2007 tax return or income documentation, social security number, drivers license or state identification card, bank statements from 2006 or 2007, W-2 forms, welfare or veterans benefits records, investment or mortgage information, or alien registration cards for non-U.S. citizens.While this information is helpful, it is not required and volunteers will still be able to help potential students fill out the forms with or without this documentation.Spanish and Portuguese translators will be available at some of the locations, but a complete schedule of volunteer translators is not