Students and Parents Now Have Access to a Comprehensive College Financial
Education Resource
SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 22 /PRNewswire/ -- GetSmart (http://www.getsmart.com), a
leading online financial services marketplace, today announced the addition of
Wiredscholar -- a comprehensive online resource that allows college-bound
students, their parents and guidance professionals to quickly and easily
prepare, evaluate, select and apply for education financing -- all utilizing
the convenience of the Internet.
According to U.S. Department of Education statistics, for the 1999-2000
academic year, annual prices for undergraduate tuition, room and board were
estimated to be $8,265 at public colleges and $20,805 at private colleges. In
the past 12 months alone, there were nearly one million unsubsidized student
loans (loans not based upon economic need) awarded in the U.S. totaling more
than $6.3 billion -- a number that is expected to increase as college costs
continue to rise.
"Planning for college is one of the most important decisions a person can
make," said Lauri Kober, CEO of GetSmart. "Wiredscholar makes this decision
easier by combining everything college-bound students and their families need
to evaluate and prepare for college all on one web site. The addition of this
service makes visiting GetSmart even more valuable for consumers."
Wiredscholar, which is part of Sallie Mae (Sallie Mae was established in
1972 as a federally chartered, government-sponsored, stockholder-owned
company), is the premier "go-to-college" online resource designed to meet the
needs of students by providing comprehensive information about going to
college. Other education web sites focus on only one component of the
education lifecycle, such as a financial aid, making it necessary to search
multiple sites to meet consumer needs. Wiredscholar is an inclusive Internet
destination that provides an extensive overview -- from test preparation to
college selection to meeting tuition expenses -- of everything a student needs
to prepare for college.
Wiredscholar provides:
-- Information on the nation's only online student loan application and
fulfillment system, in which students can choose from more than
500 loan lenders assistance in preparing for college entrance tests
-- Access to a detailed database of information on 4,000 undergraduate
colleges and universities in the U.S.
-- Guidance on choosing the college or university that best meets a
student's academic and financial needs
-- Detailed information on financial planning, locating scholarships and
understanding award letters and funding options
-- Tips on writing admissions essays and understanding the admissions
process, including managing deadlines
-- Access to self-assessment tools to help students explore potential
career opportunities
-- Access to the largest scholarship database available to students and
families today, with more than $1 billion in scholarship resources
represented
-- Interactive tools and calculators to help families estimate the costs
of college
-- Tools to help compare and evaluate college acceptance and financial aid
award letters
-- Information on how to compare student loan lenders and borrow
responsibly
About GetSmart
GetSmart is a leading financial services marketplace that provides
consumers with the tools to efficiently manage their finances and access
competitive financial products and services through a single online
destination. Consumers can access a range of products from more than
100 financial service providers, including credit cards, mortgage and auto
loans, electronic bill payment, and account aggregation. In 2000, GetSmart.com
was named "one of the 50 most incredibly useful sites" by Yahoo's Internet
Life magazine. Founded in 1996, GetSmart is based in San Francisco, California
and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Providian Financial Corporation
(NYSE: PVN).
SOURCE GetSmart
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Related links:
http://www.getsmart.com
CONTACT:
Alan Elias of Providian Financial
Corporation, +1-415-278-4189
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