A number of scholarships are made available each year by many local groups, such as labor unions, veterans groups, fraternal societies, benevolent organizations, high-school and church groups. Some scholarships are also offered by national groups, such as the National Merit Scholarship Corporation and General Motors.For more information on such scholarship programs, the student should consult his or her high-school counselor.

Under this program, the student alternates periods of study with periods of work directly related to his or her academic interest. The salary the student earns during work periods enables the student to pay a major part of college expenses. More colleges each year are participating in this program.

Under this program, the student alternates periods of study with periods of work directly related to his or her academic interest. The salary the student earns during work periods enables the student to pay a major part of college expenses. More colleges each year are participating in this program.

The Air Force, Army and Navy all have scholarship programs to help students who are interested in becoming officers in the service after graduation. Scholarships are awarded to entering

college freshmen based on their high-school grades, SATs, activities, etc. Scholarships are also awarded to college sophomores and juniors based on their performance in the ROTC program and grades in college. These scholarships pay for tuition, fees, books and laboratory expenses. In addition, scholarship holders receive $100 per month during the 10 months of the school year. Members of ROTC units who are not scholarship holders receive $100 per month in school for the last two years of college. Of course, all students who are commissioned through ROTC programs must agree to spend a stipulated length of time in the service. For more detailed information, students should contact the recruiting office of the service in which they are interested.

Besides ROTC, the military services offer other college financing programs such as the New G.I. Bill, the Army College Fund and the Navy College Fund which provide money for college after completion of military service.

There are a number of private companies that offer loans for college with a variety of interest rates and other conditions. The following offer large amounts of money over long periods of time ($10,000 to $20,000 over 10 to 15 years).
EXCEL - (800) 634-9308
*Key Education Resources (800) KEY-LEND
*Academic Management Service (800) 556-6684

Families should be sure to check interest rates, terms of repayment, penalties, etc. to be sure that all circumstances are understood and are satisfactory to the family.

The companies with asterisks offer interest-free monthly payment plans through selected schools. The only cost is an application fee ranging from $50 to $100, and this includes an insurance rider. Many colleges also have their own payment plan.

Many large corporations have tuition payment plans for their employees.

Plans vary from company to company. Some firms will advance monies needed for tuition, others will reimburse costs after the student completes each course or semester. Some companies will reimburse 100 percent of tuition costs, others a smaller amount, and some companies will reimburse a certain percentage of tuition costs depending on the student's grades. In some cases, a company will pay only for courses directly related to the job.

When interviewing for a job, be sure to ask about the firm's education funding plan.

Did you know that UPS provides its student employees one of the most outstanding education assistance programs ever offered? In fact, U.S. News and World Report cited the UPS Earn and Learn program in its 2000 "Best Colleges" issue as "the gold standard in terms of financial perks." Each calendar year, students are eligible to receive $3,000 in tuition assistance and $2,000 in student loans, up to a lifetime maximum of $23,000. UPS will also pay back up to $8,000 of the student loans depending on the employee's length of stay at UPS. Check www.upsjobs.com for program requirements and locations.