In addition to the Transcript Exchange for Colorado, Xap and NCS Pearson have also secured statewide contracts to develop Transcript Exchanges for the states of Pennsylvania, Delaware, and West Virginia, scheduled to launch in October of this year.

This revolutionary approach will benefit both high schools and colleges, which will save time and money by eliminating the need to print and send paper transcripts for each applicant. Colleges will also save time matching and validating applications and transcripts which are often sent separately. In addition, the application and transcript data is available within minutes of the student releasing the information, allowing colleges to provide more timely feedback to students.

"While online admission applications have been accepted by colleges for several years now, the majority of transcripts are still paper-based and sent via regular mail," said Allen Firstenberg, President and CEO of Xap. "Our hope is that the Xap Transcript Exchange, combined with our Mentor Systems, will make the going-to-college process even easier for students by allowing them to send both applications and transcripts electronically. We also believe that high schools and colleges will realize substantial cost savings."

"The combination of Xap and NCS Pearson is unmatched. Xap provides services to nearly 2,400 colleges and universities across the country, while NCS Pearson's products are used by a majority of high schools nationwide. The critical mass of participating high schools and colleges and universities that this partnership brings about is truly unprecedented."

Mentor Systems, which are exclusively developed by Xap Corporation, are Internet-based, student-centered web sites that provide students and their parents a simpler, friendlier and free way to plan for college admission, search and select colleges, learn about scholarships and financial aid, plan a career, and apply to college. Xap currently has contracts for Mentor Systems covering approximately 80% of college enrollment throughout the United States, a number that continues to grow.

The Xap Transcript Exchange fully integrates with all Xap Mentor Systems, the Xap Control Center, created for Xap's college and university clients, and the Xap for High School Counselors web site.

"We believe that this service, which for the first time will create a digital student application package, will help both high schools and post-secondary institutions better serve the students of Colorado," said Mary Westbrook, Vice President and General Manager of NCS Pearson's Postsecondary Services division.

"The Transcript module is another link in the Colorado Student Loan Program's efforts to make admission to college for Colorado students simpler," said Jeanne M. Adkins, Director of CSLP. "Its integration on the web site adds a crucial component for students. And, with tighter budgets, every step saved by an institution here can result in more student resources elsewhere."

About Xap
Headquartered in the Los Angeles area, Xap Corporation focuses on the creation of comprehensive Internet-based information management systems relating to secondary and post-secondary education. Founded in 1996, Xap is the leading developer of online student services systems for associations and statewide groups of colleges and universities across the United States. Xap's national website, www.xap.com and many Mentor® web sites provide the necessary tools for students to select and prepare for college, apply online, learn about financial aid opportunities and explore career options.

About NCS Pearson
NCS Pearson's Government Solutions business, based in Arlington, VA, serves the federal government and post-secondary education markets delivering technology-based solutions that support public sector entities in their delivery of information, benefits, and services to their constituents. Clients of NCS Pearson Government Solutions include the U.S. Departments of Defense, Agriculture, Education, Health and Human Services, Veterans Affairs and Labor, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, and the Transportation Security Administration. NCS Pearson is a global provider of applications, services and technologies for education, testing, assessment, government and complex data management. NCS Pearson operates as a business of Pearson Education, the world's largest integrated education company, which in turn is part of Pearson plc, the international media company.

About Colorado Student Loan Program and Colorado Commission on Higher Education
The Colorado Student Loan Program (CSLP) is the state's designated student loan guaranty agency. CSLP was established in 1979 through legislation enacted by the Colorado General Assembly as a self-funded division of the Colorado Department of Higher Education. CCHE is the statewide coordinating agency for higher education in Colorado for both the General Assembly and the Governor.