AUBURN — The Auburn Public Library has announced its fifth annual College Night will be held Thursday, Oct. 19, in the Androscoggin Community Room. The program is for teens and their parents and is designed to provide information early in the college process.

The evening will begin at 5:30 p.m., with a panel discussion facilitated by Maggie Davis, formerly of College for ME Androscoggin. Panelists will include representatives from Bates College, Central Maine Community College, Maine College of Health Professions, University of Maine (Orono) and University of Southern Maine. A representative from the Finance Authority of Maine (FAME) will also sit on the panel.

Whether a student is in middle school, high school, a senior applying for college or the parents of that student, it is hoped the evening will start the family thinking about the student’s future and/or provide answers to some of the questions that arise as they begin talking about and looking at colleges.

Topics will include taking appropriate courses in middle and high school, thinking ahead about career areas, costs of college (FAFSA, FAFSA Forecaster), types of colleges and degrees and the application process, including the common application. If time permits, it will be followed by a brief Q&A session.

The second part of the evening will feature a college fair format, whereby each admissions representative will be available with specific information about their school and programs.

In addition to the colleges represented on the panel, the following schools will be at the fair: Husson University, St. Joseph’s College, Thomas College, University of Maine Farmington and the University of New England.

New this year, the library will also offer a Financial Aid Night from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 30. A counselor from the Finance Authority of Maine will be present for an information session at 5:30 p.m. in the Androscoggin Community Room.

Following that, the library will offer in-person help on filing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) in the computer lab. Registration is not necessary for the first part of the evening, but it is required for the help session as space is limited.

FMI, register: www.auburnpubliclibrary.org; 207-333-6640, ext. 4.