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Information for the Press and Media

For Immediate Release

"Project Working Mom…and Dads Too!" Partners With National Center for Fathering to Grant More Than $2 Million in Full-Ride Scholarships for Dads

Hoboken, NJ (MARKETWIRE) February 2, 2009 — eLearners.com, a leading Web site that connects students with online education, today announced that it has partnered with the National Center for Fathering (www.fathers.com) to award approximately 60 full-ride higher education scholarships, totaling more than $2 million. The scholarships are part of the newly launched "Project Working Mom…and Dads Too!" (www.projectworkingmom.com) campaign, which is designed to provide the support moms and dads need to return to school to improve their lives and the lives of their families.

"Project Working Mom…and Dads Too!" comes on the heels of the wildly successful Project Working Mom I and II campaigns in 2008 which attracted more than 120,000 applicants and awarded nearly 100 full-ride scholarships for working mothers. The current campaign has added fathers to the mix and is supported by five quality online higher education institutions, including: Ashford University, Capella University, Everest University, Virginia College and Ashworth College.

"Fathers are such a key force in a child's life and we want to recognize the role they play and the role model they can be for their children, particularly when it comes to education," said Helen MacDermott, content director for "Project Working Mom…and Dads, Too!" "Having touched so many mothers' lives with online education, we wanted to expand our reach to include dads. Now they too will have the opportunity to advance their education alongside their children."

Although statistics show more moms than dads are struggling to make ends meet and can't afford a college education, many working dads are in the same situation. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, of the 2.1 million single dads in the United States only 16 percent have a bachelor's degree or higher. Although the total number of single moms in the United States is much larger, the percentage of moms with a bachelor's degree is about the same; only 15 percent of single moms have a bachelor's degree or higher.

eLearners.com partnered with the National Center for Fathering, a resource for men to provide the support they need in virtually every fathering situation, to help empower fathers and tell their stories.

"We are honored to be part of a campaign that helps to motivate dads to be the best they can be," said Carey Casey, CEO of the Kansas City-based National Center for Fathering and fathers.com. "Many dads we've talked with would love to have a college degree to get the career they've always wanted, but they don't have the time, money or confidence to make this dream come true. Now they have that opportunity."

By partnering with the National Center for Fathering, visitors to www.projectworkingmom.com can find a wealth of information tailored to dads. Some of the resources include quizzes, such as whether you are ready to go back to school, interviews with working dads going to school online, and a sneak peek at Carey Casey's upcoming book called "Championship Fathering: How to Win at Being a Dad." Another highlight of the "Just for Fathers" area of the site is information on the "Championship Fathering" team pledge, created by the National Center for Fathering. Through this national movement the National Center for Fathering will reach and teach 6.5 million dads to join together to reverse the negative trends in our society regarding fathering. The "Just for Fathers" section of "Project Working Mom…and Dads, Too!" can be found at http://www.elearners.com/projectworkingmom/working-dads.asp.

By providing resources for working parents, "Project Working Mom…and Dads Too!" helps to remove the barriers many moms and dads face when deciding whether to go back to school. The scholarships provided by the participating schools allow the recipients to go back to school at no cost, eliminating the huge burden of financial aid. By studying online, students can do classwork from home, during their lunch hour at work, and at any time of day. The flexibility of online classes fits perfectly with the lives of busy parents. And through the comprehensive "Project Working Mom…and Dads, Too!" Web site (www.projectworkingmom.com), working moms and dads can get the knowledge they need to feel confident about returning to school.

The full-ride online college scholarships through "Project Working Mom…and Dads Too!" are for online programs from the associate's to Ph.D. level. To apply for a scholarship, working moms and dads can submit a short application at www.projectworkingmom.com. They will also need to complete an essay with their life, education and/or career goals and explain how an online education will allow them to achieve those goals. The deadline to apply for a scholarship is April 30, 2009.

"Especially in today's tough economy, it is more important than ever for dads to have the education they need to succeed," continued Casey. "As a new year begins, there is no better time to start thinking about the future and the lessons you want your children to learn to last a lifetime."

Editor's Note: To interview a member of Project Working Mom, a member of National Center for Fathering, a father going back to school, or a member of the participating universities, contact Jenny Foust at 303.433.7020, jfoust@csg-pr.com.

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About EducationDynamics

EducationDynamics, LLC, a portfolio company of Halyard Capital, is a leading interactive marketing and information services company focused on helping higher education institutions find, enroll and retain students. Home to some of the most visible education Web sites, including EarnMyDegree.com, eLearners.com, GradSchools.com, and StudyAbroad.com, EducationDynamics is one of the leading providers of qualified leads for colleges and universities. In addition, the company offers a full suite of Web-delivered products and services to manage a school's relationship with students across their entire life cycle from inquiry through enrollment to retention. For more information on EducationDynamics, please visit http://www.educationdynamics.com.

About eLearners.com®

The eLearners.com Web site is one of several high visibility, high-quality prospecting tools offered by EducationDynamics, LLC. Since 1999, eLearners.com has been successfully connecting learners to online education, including online degree and certificate programs, specialized career training, and a variety of online courses. For prospective students, eLearners® provides a powerful search engine for users to find thousands of online program offerings, as well as educational evaluation tools and financial aid resources. For colleges and universities, the eLearners.com Web site offers a low-cost, performance-based method to provide national exposure and increase enrollments in their programs. For more information on eLearners.com, visit www.elearners.com.

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