College seminars planned

Participating parents will be schooled in the ways of college financial planning at seminars held at all four of Columbia County's high schools beginning Monday.

"Making College Financial Planning Count" is a seminar detailing the myriad higher education financing opportunities available to students and parents.

"It's for parents of students in grades ninth through 12th, but we mostly target senior parents," said Teresa Fox, a career specialist at Lakeside High School. "It's going to be a whole presentation on how to plan for it, what to look for. All the things you can do for financial planning."

A guest speaker from an education planning firm called Making It Count will deliver a one-hour presentation detailing students loans, scholarships and grants.

Sponsors of the seminar include Bank of America and Monster Worldwide Inc., which operates the Monster.com employment Web site, Fox said. However, the speaker will not attempt to pitch any particular institution for receiving financial aid, she said.

"That was one of things we were leery about," Fox said. "We didn't want them to push a specific bank or loan on our students. They assured us that it's not geared that way at all."

Financial aid representatives from Augusta State University, Augusta Technical College and Georgia Military College also will be at the seminars.

When parents arrive they will receive a workbook to take notes on the seminar. A question-and-answer session will be conducted after the presentation.

If You Go

Financial Planning seminars:

Harlem High School

Monday; 6:30-7:30 p.m.

Greenbrier High School

Tuesday; 7-8 p.m.

Lakeside High School

Thursday; 7-8 p.m.

Evans High School

Feb. 7; 6:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.