Ask MyRichUncle to Pay for School

Students paying for college can get financial help from a new website, if they agree to pay investors a fixed percentage of their future income. Also: Free online mini-courses at the University of Washington ... Cheating on AP tests ... And more, in Katie Dean's education notebook.

The rising cost of college tuition has many parents wondering how they will finance their children's education.

Fairy godmother? Bank robbery? Wealthy relative?

MyRichUncle claims to offer students an alternative method of paying for college. The site boasts a network of investors who will help finance a student's undergraduate or graduate education, and upon graduation, the student must pay the company a percentage of their income for up to 15 years.

The MRU Education Investment supplements other grants, scholarships or subsidized loans that students receive to pay for school.

Rate payments are determined by the type of program the student is in, the school they attend, the year of enrollment, work experience and other factors.

The company also plans to offer mentorship opportunities for students with MyRichUncle's network of investors.

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College students dis dot-coms: Not surprisingly, college students are seeking full-time and internship employment in more established industries due to the slowing economy.

This year's results from a survey of over 2,000 college students by WetFeet are a stark contrast to data from last year.

Only 5 percent ranked Internet/dot-com as the hottest industry compared to 36 percent last year. Interest in management consulting, pharmaceuticals/biotechnology and investment banking is up from 2000.

Students reported that the on-campus interview process was more competitive this year than last. Students received fewer interviews and job offers in 2001. Women, in particular, interviewed less and received fewer offers than their male counterparts.

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Online crash courses: This summer, the University of Washington will offer short college courses online for free on the Learning Network's Lifelong Learning site.

The noncredit courses are based on full-length online classes offered at the university. The History of Jazz, the Civil War, Shakespeare's Comedies and Greek Mythology are a few of the classes offered.

Students can complete lessons and test their knowledge at their own pace.

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AP cheaters? East Coast students who took the Advanced Placement history exam on May 11 may have used the Internet to pass questions to test-takers on the West Coast, ABCNews.com reported.

The Educational Testing Service is investigating the situation. The test is given to an estimated 176,000 students annually.

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Lions and tigers and bears, oh my! KOA campgrounds has teamed up with the Learning Network to encourage kids to read during summer vacation.

The two organizations recently created the KOA Family FunBrain Club, a book club membership that includes access to an online clubhouse with games and activities and five books about animals including Wolves in Yellowstone; Chocolate, a Glacier Grizzly and Ruffle, Coo and Hoo Doo.

"When camping at KOA campgrounds, kids can experience wildlife first-hand, and then they can learn more about it by reading related information and stories," KOA Communications Director Mike Gast said in a press release.

Parents can enroll their child for $9.95 per month, or $29.95 for three months.