Business Editors & Education/High-Tech Writers

SPARTA, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 25, 2001

No more "The dog ate my homework" excuses as students can now beam

assignments to their classrooms' infrared printers from their Palm

handhelds

Consolidated High School District 230 of Orland Park, Illinois, is a pioneer in the deployment of handheld computers to students. Nearly 1,700 students and 65 teachers are participating in the program, each equipped with Palm(TM) handheld computers and a variety of useful software programs, providing an anytime/anywhere learning environment unparalleled in the country.

To enable students to easily print their assignments directly from their handhelds, the school district has chosen to implement Bachmann Software's PrintBoy Deluxe utility, the leading printing application for the Palm OS(R) platform.

PrintBoy Deluxe provides the convenience of highly readable graphical printouts for almost any kind of information stored on a Palm handheld. PrintBoy Deluxe leverages the power of the company's Bachmann SDK to create fast, formatted output with almost any printer. At District 230, students will now be able to point their handheld computers at printers equipped with an infrared port and, with the touch of button, the students' assignments will immediately be formatted and printed on full-size paper.


Many of the classes at District 230 are utilizing the Palm handhelds to collect and analyze data outside of the classroom, and the results are shared during class time. Many of these assignments are completed using applications that can be wirelessly printed using PrintBoy, such as spreadsheets and word processing documents. One of the key reasons District 230 selected PrintBoy is that it is the only application on the market that supports the school district's document and spreadsheet printing needs.

By enabling students to work on assignments in an electronic format on portable devices, the school district has extended the boundaries of learning from the classroom to wherever and whenever the students wish to work on their assignments. By providing wireless printing capabilities, the school district has also facilitated the task of grading assignments for classroom instructors -- it is easier to review and provide comments on printed essays, spreadsheets and other extensive documents than on the small screen of a Palm handheld.

"We hope our handheld computing program will be a model for school districts across this country," said Darrell Walery, District 230's director of technology. "Handheld computers enable our students to learn anytime and anyplace. We are very pleased that Bachmann Software is enhancing the learning experience for our students and faculty with the printing capabilities that PrintBoy offers, especially since it integrates so well with the applications that are used most frequently by the program's participants."

About Bachmann Software & Services

Bachmann Software & Services is a leading provider of software products and development services for handheld computing and wireless applications. Based in Sparta, N.J., the company primarily develops applications for the Palm OS platform. Its premier products include PrintBoy(TM) Developer Kit, which "snaps" into Palm Powered(TM) devices and provides a standard text and graphics printing engine that can be used by virtually any application, and PrintBoy(TM), a suite of applets that allows users to print highly readable output of most information stored on the Palm OS. For more information, visit www.bachmannsoftware.com.

Palm OS is a registered trademark, and Palm and Palm Powered are trademarks of Palm, Inc. or its subsidiaries. All other products, service and company names are trademarks, registered trademarks or services marks of their respective owners.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The $82 million campus that Johnson & Wales University will open downtown here by 2004 eventually will become the second largest campus for the culinary and hospitality institution, following only J&W's original Providence, R.I., location in size.

J&W, which is based in Providence, plans to consolidate its campuses in Charleston, S.C., and Norfolk, Va., into the Charlotte location. Charleston, with more than 1,300 students, and Norfolk, with more than 600, eventually will close. J&W, however, plans to maintain a presence in those cities, most likely through continued student internships.

The university system's other campuses are in North Miami with about 1,700 students, Denver with 646 students and an information technology campus in Worcester, Mass., with 69 students. The Providence campus has more than 9,000 students, giving the entire system more than 13,600 students.

The Charlotte campus is expected to have more than 800 students enrolled by 2004 and should reach a student population of more than 2,800 by 2007. Employment is expected to reach 250 staff members and faculty.

While Charlotte officials and businesses heralded the addition of a major educational institution as an economic and cultural boon to the city's downtown, J&W administrators view the move as fitting to its role as a career university.

The campus, which will be the anchor in a commercial and residential development project called Gateway Village, will be in an urban setting and close to businesses where J&W students can fulfill their internship requirements and, one hopes, obtain jobs after graduation, officials said.

"This is just a very complementary strategic fit," said John Yenna, president of J&W "As a career university, we're defined by our relationships with employers. Charlotte is full of world class partners. We fit in."

One of those partners is Compass Group LLC, which is based in Charlotte. Compass employs many J&W graduates around the world. The on-site foodservice operator also took about 100 J&W sophomores with it to the Winter Olympics in Utah. Compass was the official catering supplier for the 2002 games.

Compass recently made a $2 million donation to the university.

The city also sold a 6-acre parcel to J&W for $1 million. The site, which will be a part of the campus, was valued at more than $7 million, said Charlotte Mayor Pat McCory.

The university will take over major portions of the Gateway Center segment of the Gateway Village project, a joint-venture development by Cousins Properties Inc. and Bank of America.

The campus will have administrative offices, classrooms and dormitories. The university will build from scratch its culinary school, complete with state-of-the-art kitchen classrooms.

The J&W campus is expected to generate nearly $60 million in annual economic activity for Charlotte once it is fully developed. In addition to offering another educational alternative to residents, the Charlotte campus will create jobs and spur the city's travel and tourism, the mayor said.

"I think it will first improve and build upon the restaurant industry in Charlotte with all the new talent coming here," McCory said. "I think [the campus] itself will be a tourist destination and will invite people to come watch the students in action."

The city and Charlotte Center City Partners, a special tax corporation created to encourage development and entertainment venues in the city's downtown, were the ones to approach J&W officials about coming to Charlotte, McCory said.

J&W alumnus John Tuomala, a human resources manager for Compass in Charlotte, made the suggestion to city officials after hearing that J&W was in need of more space for its Norfolk and Charleston campuses.

"I'm very passionate about Charlotte, and this was a way to make a difference for both Charlotte and my alma mater," said Tuomala, who graduated with a business degree from the Providence campus in 1992.

The Charleston campus offers culinary and hospitality degree programs, while the Norfolk campus offers only culinary degree programs. Neither campus has room to offer all of J&W's course offerings, said Donna Yenna, who is vice president of career development and wife of university president John Yenna.

The Charlotte campus will offer both associate's and bachelor's degrees in those disciplines as well as business degree programs.

"At the other campuses we were limited by space," Donna Yenna said. "With Charlotte all of our campuses will have full-course offerings. Our brand will be consistent, and students will have an equal experience."

While the Norfolk and Charleston campuses are expected eventually to shut down over the next four to five years, the university aims to maintain the relationships it already has with employers in those cities.

A major part of the J&W curriculum requires students to do internships and work in the industry as they obtain their degrees. Nearly 80 percent of J&W students earn about half of their tuition through work during the school year. That relationship with employers also contributes to the university's high rate of job placement for students after graduation. About 98 percent of students are placed in career positions within 60 days of graduation, J&W officials reported.

In a case that could go to the U.S. Supreme Court, a federal appeals court ruled that the University of Michigan law school's policy of considering race as a factor in deciding which students to accept is legal.

"We've find that the law school has a compelling state interest in achieving a diverse student body," the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Detroit said.

The recent 5-4 ruling, which reverses an earlier decision by a lower court, sprang from two consolidated lawsuits brought by White students who were denied admission to the university. They contended that Michigan's law school and undergraduate admissions policies discriminate against Whites in favor of less-qualified minorities.

The university argued that racial diversity enhances the education of all its students. It said it considers race among a number of factors, including an applicant's academic record.

Analysts have said the Michigan case could give the Supreme Court an opportunity to revisit the 1978 Bakke case, involving the University of California, which allowed consideration of race in college admissions but banned racial quotas.

In a dissent, Circuit Judge Danny Boggs called Michigan's policy "a straightforward instance of racial discrimination by a state institution."

University of Michigan Interim President B. Joseph White called the recent ruling "a very wise decision, both for the university and for all of higher education."

Even though the student loan industry has undergone dramatic consolidation in the last year and has lost several frequent issuers, overall volume could again reach the $22 billion mark in 2001, according to a new research report published this week by the international rating agency Fitch.

"Many investors will add student loan asset-backed securities to their portfolios for the first time, whether the new-found interest comes from student loan ABS credit quality, additional structural innovations, or the amendment of federal pension plan legislation," said Claire J. Mezzanotte, Managing Director, Fitch. "All the while, the same factors that triggered an unprecedented 51% increase in student loan asset-backed securitization volume last year will still be in play."

In addition to detailing the student loan asset-backed securities market, the new Fitch report summarizes recent trends in student financial aid and post secondary education. The report also includes commentary on Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP) credit quality, industry consolidation, current and future regulatory issues, and the change in the Administration.

When most people think of Student Loan Consolidation Rates, what comes to mind is usually basic information that's not particularly interesting or beneficial. But there's a lot more to Student Loan Consolidation Rates than just the basics.

Those of you not familiar with the latest on Student Loan Consolidation Rates now have at least a basic understanding. But there's more to come.

There are many options available for a student to select the best provider of student loan consolidation. Student loan consolidation rates are competitive and can be lend through government or private lender. You can search for a lender online and can check their interest rates. In student loan consolidation, interest rates plays a great role. There are many lenders that are lending loans to student but when it comes to their interest rates, they are charging very high which is unaffordable by a student.

It is wise for students to look into consolidating loans and getting good student loan consolidation rates as this can help a student shift into responsible bill paying consumer. In student loans, a student has to pay interest every month and for their monthly bills, he has to pay separately but in student loan consolidation, a student has to pay only one payment.

It is not uncommon for a borrower to get a fixed interest rate that is up to 0.6% lower than their current rates. According to federal regulations, calculating the interest rate on a consolidated loan disbursed on or after July 1, 1994 involves the weighted average of the interest rates of the old school loans you are consolidating under the new one, rounded up to the nearest one-eight of one percent. Fixed interest rates on a consolidated loan cannot exceed 8.25 percent.

There are many advantages of getting a student loan consolidation and it is researched that Americans are the first one in the row of taking the advantages of student loan consolidation rates. Many students are taking the advantage of applying for student loan consolidation as it not only allows them to study well but give them the options of shopping also. Consolidations are one way of getting control over ones spending and effectively planning a budget. For a best student loan consolidation rates you can search the internet and you should be able to find lenders who are proposing affordable payment plans. Students can then choose the best student loan consolidation rates based on the many proposals that they get.

Before you decide on taking up the student loan consolidation, it is best to browse different company’s brochures so that you get the best student loan consolidation rates. You also need to enquire about the company’s creditability, etc. It is important to ask yourself about your requirements before you procced to apply for student loan consolidation. When a student applies for student loans, it is advisable to check the terms that are offered by the student loan provider. But in the student loan consolidation you don’t have to apply for different types of loan, only one will solve all your problems. You have to make one monthly loan payment every month, instead of several loan payments every month over time. This not only saves the student’s time, but gives them total peace of mind, thereby enabling them to keep their sanity.

Are you concerned about the multiple student loans taken by you? Wondering about how to manage them? Well, student loan consolidation programs are set up for this very purpose. As a student you may think of venturing with student loan consolidation schemes. A whole lot of questions might be coming into your mind at this point. This is quite natural. However, there is no cause of worry or botheration. All you need to do is get to know the very basics of student loans consolidation process. Upon learning this you will be able to help yourself in going about with successfully managing consolidated student loans.

Consolidation of loans involves combining of the various loan products which may have been taken into a single product. It is undertaken in order to manage the loans with greater ease and to secure better terms of loan repayment. As a result of loan consolidation one will need to actually dole out lesser repayment amounts. Moreover, the period of repaying is also made higher thus facilitating procurement of funds which are to be provided towards making repayments. Now a student consolidation loan is such a consolidation loan and a part of the family loans which have been made available by the federal government under the Federal Family Education Loan (F.F.E.L.) program. The student consolidation loan enables you to unite together all or some of your outstanding education loans into a single new loan program. Even if the loans are of different kinds and are held by several different lenders it does not pose any problems. It is the U.S. government which guarantees federal student loans and these federal student loan consolidation schemes are applicable to all students whether in school, in the graduation level or on the phase of launching a career.

Federal consolidation student loans are characterized by their fixed interest rates and repayment terms extending even to 30 years. It is to be noted that there are the non-federal student loans consolidation programs too which are available. These may be obtained through banks, credit unions, other types of financial institutions, institutions attended by student etc. The private loans consolidations come in this category. The primary benefit derived from these loans is obtaining of a single monthly payment or reduction of the monthly payment. This is at the cost of increasing the total interest paid over the lifetime of the loan.

There are online ventures of student loans consolidation too. These sites set up by lenders can serve as convenient means of obtaining a consolidation loan. However, it is advisable to consult a professional qualified loan counselor before striking a deal online. The repayment options and other crucial points of consolidation need to be explored and some thought needs to be given towards checking out comparative usefulness of various deals.

If you have several student loans to pay concurrently, it can be hard and financially difficult to manage. Luckily for students, there is the option to consolidate all your student loans together. We called it Student Loan Debt Consolidation.

What is student loan debt consolidation?

It simply means consolidating all your student loans into one so you only have to make monthly payments to one lender instead of several. The advantage is that you pay lower interest rates and most student loan debt consolidation have higher repayment periods.

There are many financial institutions and banks that offers student loan debt consolidation. They will pay off your existing student loans to their respective lenders. They will then consolidate the loans into one. The interest rate of the new student loan debt consolidation is then calculated by taking the average of the interest rates of your previous student loans. That is why your student loan debt consolidation’s interest rate is lower.

Some student loan debt consolidations are payable at a fixed rate though so be sure to check with your lender first.

There are 4 different types of student loan debt consolidation plans available from lenders each with its pros and cons.

1. Standard Repayment Plan

Standard Repayment Plan offers a maximum of 10 years to repay your student loan debt consolidation at a fixed rate. Payments are calculated by dividing the loan amount within that time period at a fixed interest rate.

2. Extended Repayment Plan

There is also the option of an extended repayment plan. It is the same as standard repayment plan except it stretches the repayment period to a maximum of 30 years. The length of repayment is dependent on the total amount borrowed.

You should note that you may ended up paying more by opting for an extended repayment plan because of the fixed interest rate. On the other hand, the monthly payments would be easier to handle so you will have to decide how much you can afford to pay each month.

3. Graduated Repayment Plan

The Graduated Repayment Plan has a maximum repayment period of 30 years which is the same as extended repayment plan. However, the amount of your monthly payments will increase every two years.

4. Income Repayment Plan

For income repayment plan, the monthly payment is not fixed. Rather it is determined by several factors such as your total student loan amount, the size of your family and your income level. The maximum repayment period is 25 years.

So how do you decide which student loan debt consolidation is suitable for you? Here’s a few tips. If you are close to repaying your student loans, then there is no need to get a student loan debt consolidation unless you foresee some cash-flow problems in the coming months. Consider your financial status now and in the coming months or years. Are you able to comfortably pay the loan? Getting a new student loan debt consolidation is also a good way to improve your credit score since you have effectively cleared your old student loans and getting a new one.

With this student federal loan consolidation FAQ section, you can get some answers to your questions that might often come to your mind while choosing the option of student debt consolidation.

1. What is student federal consolidation of loans?

It is a program under which, your multiple loans are converted to one single loan, which benefits you in paying to one lender instead of multiple lenders.

2. Why should we choose federal debt consolidation for students?

Choosing consolidation of loans cut down the interest amount, which was originally much higher than it is after consolidating the loan. With this, it also reduces the hassles of making many monthly payments.

3. How do I consolidate the loan?

Applying for federal debt consolidation is a very simple procedure. You can apply online, or download the application form, fill in and send it to us.

4. Is there any kind of credit check done?

This is a remarkable feature of debt consolidation that it does not require any credit history check. Therefore, no matter how bad or good your credit background had been in the past, you can still qualify for this loan.

5. Are there any disadvantages of student loan consolidation?

Although, there are many advantages of loan consolidation, but there is a disadvantage also, which states that your total interest cost is increased. Yes, making small monthly payments over a long time can increase the overall cost.

6. Are there any provisions for cancellation of student consolidation?

The consolidation application once processed cannot be cancelled, only if the application process is not completed then there are some chances of its cancellation.

7. Am I eligible for debt consolidation?

For availing the consolidation option, you must be a student borrower and your loans should be in grace, repayment, and deferment. In addition, if you are a parent borrower i.e. parents who want loans for the education of their child, you can also get the loan.

8. Can my spouse and I consolidate loans?

Spouse consolidation loans existed before, but are now no longer available.

9. What loans are eligible for federal debt consolidation?

Loans that possess one or more of the federal subsidized and unsubsidized loan, direct, subsidized and unsubsidized loan, Federal Perkins loans, Federal Nursing Student loans, Health education assistance loans etc.

10. Are there any loans, which cannot be consolidated?

Yes-private loans from banks, institutions, parents or any other such individuals cannot avail loan consolidation process.

11. Is there any option of reconsolidation of loan?

Yes, loans either new or old can be included for consolidation, if done within 180 days after the student loan consolidation is issued.

NEW YORK -- According to the latest student loan asset-backed securities newsletter published this week by Fitch, student loan asset-backed securitization volume for the third quarter of 2005 was slightly lower than in the second quarter of this year but remained strong nonetheless and at a level that should push end-of-year volume to another new record high. The strong third-quarter volume can be attributed primarily to a continuation of higher-than-expected consolidation loan volume.

The newsletter also highlights several noteworthy transactions rated by Fitch's student loan ABS team in the third quarter and provides an update on the Higher Education Act reauthorization process that is expected to culminate in the coming weeks.

The newsletter 'The Student Loan Report Card' is available on Fitch's web site at www.fitchratings.com by linking to the 'ABS' sector and clicking on 'Newsletters'.

Fitch's rating definitions and the terms of use of such ratings are available on the agency's public site, www.fitchratings.com. Published ratings, criteria and methodologies are available from this site, at all times. Fitch's code of conduct, confidentiality, conflicts of interest, affiliate firewall, compliance and other relevant policies and procedures are also available from the 'Code of Conduct' section of this site.

Looking to expand its business reach to the West Coast, student loan consolidator Xanthus is opening an office in Colorado Springs on April 11.

The St. Petersburg, Fla.-based company has named Paul Kendrick manager of the office, initially overseeing a staff of 24 and as many as 100 by year's end.

It will nearly double the number of employees for Xanthus, which counsels students in options to lower their loan debt. In 2004, Xanthus consolidated more than $400 million worth of loans.

"We are extremely confident that this move to Colorado Springs is the right decision," said Jim Zach, president and chief executive of Xanthus. "We need to expand our work force to meet the future growth we see for our company in this industry.

"Colorado Springs is ideally situated and suited to meet those needs."

The 5,000-square-foot office at 4775 Centennial Blvd. is temporary for Xanthus, which hopes to move into a permanent building quickly.

"We are working with the Pikes Peak Workforce Center to locate employees right now," Kendrick said. "We won't be formally interviewing until next week, but I was down in their office today and they will have employees lined up for us."

The availability of talent was one of the main selling points that the Greater Colorado Springs Economic Development Corp. used to get Xanthus to come here instead of Phoenix, where the company had planned to settle.

Xanthus, which has grown quickly since it was founded in July 2002, wanted an office in the West so it could tap into the lucrative California market, especially at a time when rates are projected to jump radically.

"What we are hearing is that rates may double when they are reset in July," Kendrick said. "Getting a fixedrate on a loan now is very, very important."

If one wants to join the college then it costs a lot of money for him or her. The college education needs heavy amount of money that includes the cost of books, fees and traveling fare etc. In fact, there are many people who take the student loan to deal with these costs. When you take the loan then it will bring with it the monthly payment bills that you have to pay. Often it has been seen that to clear this bills, one is taking more loans.

Normally, it has been seen that these type of loans result to debts, to get rid of the student loans sometimes students take the student debt consolidation loan. While we are talking about student loan debt consolidation, here all of the student loans are consolidated in one particular loan and that is known as the student debt consolidation loan. When you are taking this loan then you don't have to keep a track for all the single student loans with the headache of making their payments. As an alternative, only one particular payment can be made to clear the student loan debt consolidation loan.

The principle cause of children opting for the student debt consolidation is this. It becomes very tiresome for the students to bear the duties of day to day living, managing studies along with that dealing with all the student loans by giving the payments timely to the required resources. While you take a student debt consolidation loan, the student can reduce all kinds of linked headaches and can focus further on their studies so that they can take out the best from their education. If the students opt for the student loan debt consolidation loans then they can generally save some of their monthly installments from there. So many students like to choose the student loan debt consolidation loan. There are many student loans that you can take for completing the studies but the rate of interest for different loans will vary. Few of them may cost you much, while some may be lesser. So, the installments of some loans for each month can be high and some can be low.

The student normally gets a longer period of time to refund the loan if they take the student debt consolidation loan. Actually, if your combined student loan amount is larger then you will get a longer time to refund your loan amount. If you get a longer period of time then the installment of each month will also be lower that you are going to pay. But, if you want to pay extra money rather than the set amount by student loan debt consolidation service, you can easily do that it will help you to clear your debt in a short period of time.

Every high school student thinks of college at one point in their academic life. They very seldom think of how they are going to pay for the cost of higher education. When they do, they just figure that they can apply for student loans, grants and scholarships.

Every year, billions of dollars in student loans are granted. What the student fails to consider is that how fast the years go by and it is then time to repay the loans. Often a student has more than one loan and the repayments can be more than what the student can handle. It often becomes overwhelming and the student cannot make the payments.

Student loan consolidation was designed to assist each student with the repayment of their loans while being able to pay their monthly bills also.

There are several different types of student loan consolidations. Each one was developed to assist a certain type of student loan. It is crucial that you choose the student consolidation loan that meets your needs.

The most popular type of student consolidation loan is a standard loan consolidation. This type of loan has a fixed interest rate, which makes your payments more consistent. The repayment time for a standard loan consolidation is ten years. It is possible to repay this type of loan early, however you may incur early repayment fees.

Another type of student consolidation loan is called an extended payment plan. This type of consolidation loan is the same as a standard loan however the repayment time is extended up to thirty years. It is important to note that with an extended repayment plan, the interest rate that is paid over the thirty years can be far more than the initial loan or loans.

A graduated repayment plan was developed for students who are already working in their chosen field and can begin the repayment process upon graduation from college. With this type of loan, the repayment amount begins very small and gradually increases throughout the years. The increase occurs every two years. The loan repayment time can be up to thirty years. Again, the interest rate on this type of loan can be very high and you could end up paying a lot more then you borrowed.

Student unemployed debt consolidation is also a debt consolidation loan. The only difference is, it can be availed by students only. Student unemployed debt consolidation helps you to merge all your existing debts into a single debt with low interest rate and with flexible repayment duration. It can be availed by students suffering from bad credit status also.

Student unemployed debt consolidation helps you to consolidate all the debts availed for the purpose of higher studies into one with comparatively low interest rate. This way it becomes easier to pay for you and that too at low interest rate. Student unemployed debt consolidation is basically of two types, secured and unsecured. To avail secured student unemployed debt consolidation loans you’ll have to place collateral against the loan amount. This can be any of your personal properties like car, home etc. On the other hand no such security is needed to avail an unsecured student unemployed debt consolidation. No credit check is required to avail student debt consolidation loans. It means students having bad credit history due to arrears, defaults, CCJ, IVA etc can also avail the benefits of student unemployed debt consolidation, but with slightly higher interest rate compared to good creditors. The interest rate may vary depending upon the type of loan availed by student and the credit history of the student. Unsecured student unemployed debt consolidation loans carry slightly higher interest rate than secured one, this is because lenders advance loans without any security.

Student unemployed debt consolidation is very beneficial for students suffering from multiple debts. Student unemployed debt consolidation helps them to merge all their debts into a single debt with low interest rate. Student unemployed debt consolidation carries low interest rate and hence can be easily repaid. It helps you to get rid of all your loans and enjoy a debt free life. It can also be availed by students having bad credit history. With the help of student unemployed debt consolidation, students having bad credit history can increase their credit score by paying the loan installments regularly.

You can easily apply for student unemployed debt consolidation either by visiting physical lenders or by applying online. If you don’t want to take the pain of visiting lenders personally you should apply online. Also online method is a lot faster and hassle free compared to traditional method. With student unemployed debt consolidations you can easily pay off your multiple debts and lead a debt free life.

The figures cast a shadow on the thousands of students hoping to start studies in the coming autumn. However dream is getting distant since spiraling debt problem. Debt has not deterred students from applying through, but daunting debt does put off some students from poor backgrounds from the facilities they are looking for. They have nothing to ponder over but debt elimination first before taking any loan. Consider the students’ financial situations; the lending authority has made their mind for generous assistance of student debt consolidation loan UK.

A student debt consolidation loan UK is an act of debt solution. This student debt consolidation program is an organised from of debt repayment on monthly basis. Under the provision of student debt consolidation loan UK a single lender works as a middle man. This selected man calculates whole of the debtors’ debt amount, and charts out a single comparative repayment scheme.

No matter of individuals’ credit history, since individuals having IVA, CCJs, bankrupts, arrears, defaulters too can avail the benefits of the student debt consolidation loan UK. On the problem if any they may have to face up with is a brief current credit checks. On the basis of the study of the debtors’ financial status, the subsequent student debt consolidation loan UK program is planned to the students.

There are many lenders going in for the cause of student debt consolidation loan UK. With their respect terms and conditions, these lenders try to lure student to their sides. Cautiously, students are required to hold their breath making any debt consolidation loan plan. Just once go through the policies and plans being offered to them.

For, the best thing about the student debt consolidation loan UK is that, these days, this loan can be accessed and applied through online too. There are innumerable sites of student debt consolidation loan UK, cull some of them and make a comparative study of the terms and conditions. Lastly, make your plan of student debt consolidation loan UK according to your financial feasibility.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The $82 million campus that Johnson & Wales University will open downtown here by 2004 eventually will become the second largest campus for the culinary and hospitality institution, following only J&W's original Providence, R.I., location in size.

J&W, which is based in Providence, plans to consolidate its campuses in Charleston, S.C., and Norfolk, Va., into the Charlotte location. Charleston, with more than 1,300 students, and Norfolk, with more than 600, eventually will close. J&W, however, plans to maintain a presence in those cities, most likely through continued student internships.

The university system's other campuses are in North Miami with about 1,700 students, Denver with 646 students and an information technology campus in Worcester, Mass., with 69 students. The Providence campus has more than 9,000 students, giving the entire system more than 13,600 students.

The Charlotte campus is expected to have more than 800 students enrolled by 2004 and should reach a student population of more than 2,800 by 2007. Employment is expected to reach 250 staff members and faculty.

While Charlotte officials and businesses heralded the addition of a major educational institution as an economic and cultural boon to the city's downtown, J&W administrators view the move as fitting to its role as a career university.

The campus, which will be the anchor in a commercial and residential development project called Gateway Village, will be in an urban setting and close to businesses where J&W students can fulfill their internship requirements and, one hopes, obtain jobs after graduation, officials said.

"This is just a very complementary strategic fit," said John Yenna, president of J&W "As a career university, we're defined by our relationships with employers. Charlotte is full of world class partners. We fit in."

One of those partners is Compass Group LLC, which is based in Charlotte. Compass employs many J&W graduates around the world. The on-site foodservice operator also took about 100 J&W sophomores with it to the Winter Olympics in Utah. Compass was the official catering supplier for the 2002 games.

Compass recently made a $2 million donation to the university.

The city also sold a 6-acre parcel to J&W for $1 million. The site, which will be a part of the campus, was valued at more than $7 million, said Charlotte Mayor Pat McCory.

The university will take over major portions of the Gateway Center segment of the Gateway Village project, a joint-venture development by Cousins Properties Inc. and Bank of America.

The campus will have administrative offices, classrooms and dormitories. The university will build from scratch its culinary school, complete with state-of-the-art kitchen classrooms.

The J&W campus is expected to generate nearly $60 million in annual economic activity for Charlotte once it is fully developed. In addition to offering another educational alternative to residents, the Charlotte campus will create jobs and spur the city's travel and tourism, the mayor said.

"I think it will first improve and build upon the restaurant industry in Charlotte with all the new talent coming here," McCory said. "I think [the campus] itself will be a tourist destination and will invite people to come watch the students in action."

The city and Charlotte Center City Partners, a special tax corporation created to encourage development and entertainment venues in the city's downtown, were the ones to approach J&W officials about coming to Charlotte, McCory said.

J&W alumnus John Tuomala, a human resources manager for Compass in Charlotte, made the suggestion to city officials after hearing that J&W was in need of more space for its Norfolk and Charleston campuses.

"I'm very passionate about Charlotte, and this was a way to make a difference for both Charlotte and my alma mater," said Tuomala, who graduated with a business degree from the Providence campus in 1992.

The Charleston campus offers culinary and hospitality degree programs, while the Norfolk campus offers only culinary degree programs. Neither campus has room to offer all of J&W's course offerings, said Donna Yenna, who is vice president of career development and wife of university president John Yenna.

The Charlotte campus will offer both associate's and bachelor's degrees in those disciplines as well as business degree programs.

"At the other campuses we were limited by space," Donna Yenna said. "With Charlotte all of our campuses will have full-course offerings. Our brand will be consistent, and students will have an equal experience."

While the Norfolk and Charleston campuses are expected eventually to shut down over the next four to five years, the university aims to maintain the relationships it already has with employers in those cities.

A major part of the J&W curriculum requires students to do internships and work in the industry as they obtain their degrees. Nearly 80 percent of J&W students earn about half of their tuition through work during the school year. That relationship with employers also contributes to the university's high rate of job placement for students after graduation. About 98 percent of students are placed in career positions within 60 days of graduation, J&W officials reported.

No more "The dog ate my homework" excuses as students can now beam

assignments to their classrooms' infrared printers from their Palm

handhelds

Consolidated High School District 230 of Orland Park, Illinois, is a pioneer in the deployment of handheld computers to students. Nearly 1,700 students and 65 teachers are participating in the program, each equipped with Palm(TM) handheld computers and a variety of useful software programs, providing an anytime/anywhere learning environment unparalleled in the country.

To enable students to easily print their assignments directly from their handhelds, the school district has chosen to implement Bachmann Software's PrintBoy Deluxe utility, the leading printing application for the Palm OS(R) platform.

PrintBoy Deluxe provides the convenience of highly readable graphical printouts for almost any kind of information stored on a Palm handheld. PrintBoy Deluxe leverages the power of the company's Bachmann SDK to create fast, formatted output with almost any printer. At District 230, students will now be able to point their handheld computers at printers equipped with an infrared port and, with the touch of button, the students' assignments will immediately be formatted and printed on full-size paper.

Many of the classes at District 230 are utilizing the Palm handhelds to collect and analyze data outside of the classroom, and the results are shared during class time. Many of these assignments are completed using applications that can be wirelessly printed using PrintBoy, such as spreadsheets and word processing documents. One of the key reasons District 230 selected PrintBoy is that it is the only application on the market that supports the school district's document and spreadsheet printing needs.

By enabling students to work on assignments in an electronic format on portable devices, the school district has extended the boundaries of learning from the classroom to wherever and whenever the students wish to work on their assignments. By providing wireless printing capabilities, the school district has also facilitated the task of grading assignments for classroom instructors -- it is easier to review and provide comments on printed essays, spreadsheets and other extensive documents than on the small screen of a Palm handheld.

"We hope our handheld computing program will be a model for school districts across this country," said Darrell Walery, District 230's director of technology. "Handheld computers enable our students to learn anytime and anyplace. We are very pleased that Bachmann Software is enhancing the learning experience for our students and faculty with the printing capabilities that PrintBoy offers, especially since it integrates so well with the applications that are used most frequently by the program's participants."

About Bachmann Software & Services

Bachmann Software & Services is a leading provider of software products and development services for handheld computing and wireless applications. Based in Sparta, N.J., the company primarily develops applications for the Palm OS platform. Its premier products include PrintBoy(TM) Developer Kit, which "snaps" into Palm Powered(TM) devices and provides a standard text and graphics printing engine that can be used by virtually any application, and PrintBoy(TM), a suite of applets that allows users to print highly readable output of most information stored on the Palm OS. For more information, visit www.bachmannsoftware.com.

Palm OS is a registered trademark, and Palm and Palm Powered are trademarks of Palm, Inc. or its subsidiaries. All other products, service and company names are trademarks, registered trademarks or services marks of their respective owners.