For Immediate Release: March 10, 2008

The New York State Higher Education Services Corp. (HESC), the state agency that helps people pay for college, has launched its spring tour of college fairs, bringing financial aid information and counseling to thousands of students and families across the state at college fairs in Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Troy, White Plains, Long Island, and New York City.

High school juniors are starting to learn more about their college choices by going to regional college fairs and meeting with admissions representatives. Seniors, with college acceptance letters in hand, are looking for ways to finance their college choices.

To help these students, HESC provides information and counseling about federal and state financial aid, including program eligibility and how to apply for grants and scholarships.

A complete college fair schedule can be found on the HESC Web site: www.hesc.org.

HESC supports colleges in New York by being the main source of college financial aid planning information for students and families – meeting thousands every year at college fairs across the state and encouraging students to attend schools in New York.

HESC.org is the state’s Web site that offers guidance and the latest information about state and federal financial aid, financial planning, plus academic and career planning for students.

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ABOUT HESC: The New York State Higher Education Services Corp., (HESC) is the largest in-state student loan guaranty agency providing more grant and scholarship money to college students than any other state in the nation.

The state agency provided $831 million through the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) to more than 381,000 students and guaranteed more than $4.5 million in federal loans in academic year 2006-07.

HESC administers New York’s 529 College Savings Program, a nationally-acclaimed program which boasts more than $7 billion in assets, and also handles more than 25 state and federal grants and scholarships.

HESC also provides training and technical services to college financial aid administrators, high school counselors and lenders.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Contact Ronald S. Kermani, HESC’s senior vice president for communications, at (518) 473-1264. His home phone is (518) 456-5160 and beeper is (518) 422-3906. Kermani’s e-mail is rkermani@hesc.org.