HESC Ushers in Spring with College Fair Tours

ALBANY, NY (03/18/2008)(readMedia)-- 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: HESC is the largest in-state student loan guaranty agency and provides more grant and scholarship money to college students than any other state in the nation.

The state agency awarded nearly $5.5 billion in aid to more than 700,000 students in state fiscal year 2006-07 and provided $831 million through the New York Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) to more than 381,000 students in academic year 2006-07.

HESC administers New York’s 529 College Savings Program, a nationally-acclaimed program which boasts more than $7.5 billion in assets and handles more than 20 state and federal grants and scholarships.