AA AA A AAS AANAAAAMVV VY \ eho to hehe ehhh ahhh aba nn -HducationNews College Application Process Going Online, of students are finding their path to college is taking them on the to expect online applications will soon become the preferred, if not required means, in manycases.” ciation for College Admission fourths apply to an institution (NAPSA)—A growing number information super highway. According to the National Asso- Counseling, online applications to colleges totaled about 1.7 million for the 2000-01 academic year. Plus, research indicates stu- dent preference for filing an online application has jumped from 11 percent just three years ago to 34 percent. The same study shows the numberof paper-only applications has dropped from 80 percent to 65 percentof all applications made. According to experts, such as Randy Behm, senior vice presi- dent of Key Education Resources, today’s students are well-versed in the Internet and expect the convenience of getting and sending information online. The college application process is no exception. Said Behm, “Receiving student information electronically makes a big difference in the amount of paperwork an admissions office has to handle. It’s not far-fetched Among students who use online resources to apply, about three- online directly, either through the institution’s Web site or by using a Web-based electronic transmission company. About half download the Institution’s online admissions form and either print it out or com- plete it on disk and submit that to the institution. Online resources designed to help families find the financing for college are also growing in number. For example, Key Education Resource’s Web site provides product information, online appli- cations, free planning tools, an education financing library and a scholarship search. “This,” said Behm, “puts information about scholarships and borrowing options literally just a mouse-click away.” For more information about college financing optionsvisit the Web site at www.key.com/educate orcall toll free, 1-800-KEY-LAND.
