A r c h i v e d  I n f o r m a t i o n

FOR RELEASE                     Contact:  Stephanie Babyak (202) 401-1576 June 24, 1996                                Jane Glickman (202) 401-1576

STUDENT AID MADE "EASI" EDUCATION DEPARTMENT LAUNCHES NEW INTERNET SITE

As families of college bound students know well, applying for college admission and financial aid can be an overwhelming experience , involving sorting through a dizzying array of forms and sources of information. Now, available at your fingertips is the U.S. Education Department's new Project EASI home page on the Internet's World Wide Web. Project EASI (Easy Access for Students and Institutions) integrates federal, state, individual school and private sources of information on:

• planning and preparing for education after high school -- whether for career or technical training or more traditional two or four year academic programs;
• applying for student aid, including federal, state, and private sources of grants, scholarships, and loans; and
• repaying student loans and the many options available to suit borrowers' circumstances.

Located at http://easi.ed.gov, Project EASI provides on line access to information such as financial resources by state, standardized tests for postsecondary school admission such as SAT and ACT, students' rights and responsibilities for repaying federal loans, and circumstances for canceling or postponing loan repayments. USA TODAY Online recently selected Project EASI for a Hot Site Award, designated for "exhibiting excellence in graphics, content, or both." More than 17,000 users have accessed Project EASI since it began operating less than two months ago.

"With the simple click of a mouse, the public will now have access to Project EASI's comprehensive compendium of information about postsecondary education and student financial aid," said Leo Kornfeld, senior advisor to the education secretary. "Students, parents, counselors and others will no longer have to do elaborate research or spend time writing and waiting for materials from a host of sources."

"This is a good example of reinventing government through the Internet. Project EASI is committed to going wherever customer demand leads us and the technology allows us to go," said Keith Jepsen, Project EASI national chair. Jepsen also serves as director of financial aid at New York University.

Through the Project EASI site, reliance on printed publications and forms, and manual data entry for financial aid application processing will be reduced. Students will soon be able to complete financial aid forms electronically, have them processed, and obtain official estimates of their families' expected financial contribution toward college costs -- all electronically. Project EASI also will be able to prepare sample aid packages and financing options at particular schools. Borrowers will be able to make loan balance inquiries and consolidate loans on line.

Project EASI home page is part of a larger effort by federal and state governments, postsecondary schools, and business to improve customer service in the student financial assistance programs through the use of state of the art technology. Comments and suggestions may be sent to Project_EASI@inet.ed.gov.