Collaboratory launches College Access Nights for Southwest Florida

FORT MYERS, Fla. - EntSun -- Collaboratory is kicking off its College Access Nights series this fall with four free sessions from October 2026 through January 2027, providing high school seniors, college students and adult learners with hands-on assistance navigating college applications, financial aid and other steps toward higher education.

The series begins Oct. 6, with additional 2026 sessions on Nov. 5 and Dec. 15 before continuing into the new year on Jan. 13. Each session runs from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at Collaboratory in Fort Myers and focuses on a different aspect of college preparation while offering free, in-person assistance completing the 2027-28 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

"College Access Nights are about more than providing students with information and resources," said Crystal Maldonado, scholarship coordinator for Collaboratory. "We want to give them a place where they can sit down, work through important college preparation steps and have someone there to answer questions and provide assistance along the way."

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College Access Nights include:

• Tuesday, Oct. 6: College Applications & FAFSA Assistance
  Participants can work on college applications and connect with admissions representatives from Fort Myers Technical College, Cape Coral Technical College, Florida Gulf Coast University, Florida SouthWestern State College, Keiser University, Heights CareerTech Institute and Rasmussen University.
  
  
• Thursday, Nov. 5: Scholarship Applications & FAFSA Assistance
  Participants can learn about available local scholarships, begin applications and bring essay drafts for review and feedback.
  
  
• Tuesday, Dec. 15: Resume Building & FAFSA Assistance
  Participants can learn how to build an academic resume for college and scholarship applications.
  
  
• Wednesday, Jan. 13: Interview Prep & FAFSA Assistance
  Participants can prepare for college and scholarship interviews while learning interview do's and don'ts and practical tips.

Financial aid specialists will be available at each session to assist with the FAFSA. Attendees should bring a charged laptop, Chromebook or smartphone, along with applicable StudentAid.gov account information, 2025 income and tax documents, Social Security numbers and a government-issued photo ID. StudentAid.gov accounts can also be created during the workshops. Food will be provided.

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All College Access Nights are free and open to the community, and advance registration is encouraged. To register for upcoming sessions, visit https://collaboratory.org/events/list/?tribe_filterbar_events_virtual=all.

To learn more or become involved with Collaboratory, call 239-274-5900 or visit Collaboratory.org (http://www.collaboratory.org/).