Redesigned Site Simplifies Higher Education Planning
HARRISBURG, Pa., April 5 /PRNewswire/ -- American Education Services (AES)
today announced that its newly redesigned college planning Website,
EducationPlanner.org, has been named "Forbes Favorite" by Forbes.com.
This prestigious designation was earned by AES' easy-to-use Website that
assists students and their families in navigating the higher education
planning process through five carefully designed modules: Preparing,
Deciding, Selecting, Paying and Applying.
"Without the proper planning tools, preparing for higher education can be
a long and confusing process," said AES President and CEO Dick Willey.
"Students and their families have numerous decisions to make -
EducationPlanner provides the information they need to make informed
decisions, at no cost. I'm pleased that Forbes has recognized the service
that EducationPlanner offers by naming it the #1 college planning Website in
the nation."
Forbes' review of EducationPlanner.org includes the site's best feature,
"Brimming with useful calculators (Student Loan Repayment, Estimated Expected
Family Contribution and others) and checklists." A full review can be read at
http://www.forbes.com/bow.
EducationPlanner was recently enhanced, employing the suggestions of the
education community to simplify navigation and provide more comprehensive
information. Design changes, such as increased white space, make content
viewing easier while several additions to the various modules provide greater
understanding of the student aid and admission application process.
A "Learning Style Quiz" has been added; this interactive quiz lets
students know whether they are auditory, visual or tactile learners then
provides learning tips based upon their learning styles. A downloadable
handout entitled "The More You Learn" shows students the correlation between
education level and earnings. The previous SAT practice tests have been
replaced with new tests to prepare students for the new SAT, including an
essay writing exercise.
Several informative articles have been added to the site. The "Saving for
College" article addresses the most common questions that students and
families have. The concept of professional judgment, in which financial aid
officers can take unusual circumstances into account when deciding on aid
packages, is explained in an additional article while an article on
scholarship scams lists the most common scams and offers suggestions on
identifying legitimate organizations. "How to Use" articles have been added
to each of the five modules on the site.
EducationPlanner.org was developed in cooperation with Thomson Peterson's,
a worldwide leader in education information. It was created to thoughtfully
guide students through the higher education planning process, beginning with
considering possible career options through submitting admission applications
and finding student aid. The site also provides information specifically for
school counselors and parents to help them in assisting students.
The site is home to the world's largest free scholarship database, listing
1.7 million scholarships, grants and awards worth nearly $7.6 billion. The
college search module includes schools and distance education programs across
the nation with online admission applications to more than 3,000 colleges.
Targeted information is included for adult students and student-athletes with
links to the NCAA Clearinghouse. Various other modules on
EducationPlanner.org provide online student aid applications, a student resume
builder, an essay writing course and tips for completing admission
applications.
About American Education Services
American Education Services (AES) is a national financial aid services
organization with $57.5 billion in assets under management, serving millions
of students and thousands of schools through our guaranty, servicing, grant
and financial aid processing systems. The funds generated from our extensive
operations are used to improve education opportunities and lower the cost of
assistance for students and their families while streamlining the entire
process for the higher education community.
For more information, please visit our Website at
http://www.aesSuccess.org.
About The Thomson Corporation and Thomson Peterson's
The Thomson Corporation (http://www.thomson.com), with 2003 revenues of
$7.6 billion, is a global leader in providing integrated information solutions
to business and professional customers. Thomson provides value-added
information, software tools and applications to more than 20 million users in
the fields of law, tax, accounting, financial services, higher education,
reference information, corporate training and assessment, scientific research
and healthcare. With operational headquarters in Stamford, Conn., Thomson has
approximately 39,000 employees and provides services in approximately 130
countries. The Corporation's common shares are listed on the New York and
Toronto stock exchanges (NYSE: TOC; TSX: TOC). Its learning businesses and
brands serve the needs of individuals, learning institutions, corporations and
government agencies with products and services for both traditional and
distributed learning. Thomson Peterson's (http://www.petersons.com) is a
leading provider of education information and advice, with books and online
resources focusing on education search, test preparation, and financial aid.
Its Web site offers searchable databases and interactive tools for contacting
educational institutions, online practice tests and instruction, and planning
tools for securing financial aid. Thomson Peterson's serves 110 million
education consumers annually.
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