Texas Private Colleges Unveil New "Mentor" Internet System
Austin, TX – March 11, 1999 – Independent colleges and universities in Texas have just made it easier than ever for students to plan for and apply to college.
A new and free Internet-based information system will help prospective students prepare for college admission, seek information about independent higher education opportunities in Texas, and find the best college choice for them among the 40 member institutions of the Independent Colleges and Universities of Texas.
This innovative Internet information system is designed and operated by XAP Corporation and is made available in cooperation with The Student Loan Corporation, a Citibank subsidiary, and The Texas Guaranteed Student Loan Corporation.
The new website, www.texasmentor.org, takes prospective students on multimedia virtual campus tours, helps them match their needs and interests with specific institutions, establishes direct e-mail communication with campus representatives, performs scholarship searches, and provides a host of other features, including a comprehensive section on financial aid to help students and their families understand their financial aid opportunities and eligibility.
Once students have narrowed down their campus choices and decide to apply for admission, TEXASMentor provides online admissions and financial aid applications for them to quickly and easily complete and submit over the Internet.
"We believe that TEXASMentor is going to be a tremendous help in getting the word out about independent colleges and universities in Texas," says Carol McDonald, President of the Independent Colleges and Universities of Texas.
"In fact, one of the most appealing aspects is that the system is customized to benefit students of different ages and academic backgrounds."
For example, high school students can use TEXASMentor to help plan their curriculum to assure they meet college admission requirements.
At the same time, a graduate student may use TEXASMentor to apply for graduate admissions online and adults returning to college may obtain information on how to complete a degree started years before.
TEXASMentor is an Internet-based information management system patterned after the highly successful CSUMentor system (www.csumentor.edu) designed for the California State University (CSU) which received over six hundred thousand visitors in its first year of operation.
Mentor systems in the United States are linked by a common database.
By merely "pointing and clicking," students may use their private and secure databases to fill out and electronically transmit a variety of admission and financial aid forms and applications to universities and colleges across the United States.
"It is this online transacting facility," explains Bill Beckmann, President of The Student Loan Corporation, "that attracted Citibank to this exciting new initiative.
We believe it's important that students and their families understand their financial aid opportunities and eligibility - and with TEXASMentor, we are able to provide this information right at their fingertips!"
ICUT is a member of the Texas Higher Education Coalition (THEC), a group whose goal is to raise awareness around the important issues of accessibility, affordability, and retention in the Texas colleges and universities.
ICUT’s collaboration with XAP Corporation will play an important part in making higher education accessible to more Texas families. TEXASMentor was designed to make college accessible for all students who want to fully explore the educational opportunities available to them and will give students and their families yet another tool to succeed in their pursuit of quality higher education.
XAP Corporation provides student-centered, Internet-based, integrated services systems for students and their families, on behalf of higher education institutions throughout the United States.
Citibank was one of the first banks to finance higher education, beginning in 1958.
Today, they are one of the largest originators and second-largest holder of insured student loans in the U.S., serving nearly 1 million customers.
Texas Guaranteed Student Loan Corporation (TG) is a public, nonprofit corporation that administers the Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP) in Texas.
