Hancock Bank to sponsor Paying for College workshops starting Tuesday

    GULFPORT, MS (March 11, 2007) - With financial aid priority dates looming at many campuses, Hancock Bank will offer parents of high school seniors a series of free one-hour workshops on the ABCs of college financial aid beginning Tuesday, March 13, 2007, at 6 p.m. at the Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College (MGCCC) Jefferson Davis Campus dining hall.

     The Hancock Bank seminars will feature creative options for financing higher education as well as clear, simple information about the financial aid application process. Seminar topics include (1) financial aid available through grants, scholarships, jobs, special Mississippi state programs, and loans; (2) how to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) - the first step to securing financial aid; and (3) ways to cut college costs, including savings strategies and tax credits.
Education Services Foundation (ESF) - Mississippi's non-profit resource for free college planning, scholarships, and low-cost student loans - will provide presentation information for each workshop.

     Judy White, who heads Hancock Bank's student loan division, said many families are not aware of how many options are available to pay for college.

     "As an educational partner since 1899, we believe South Mississippi will continue to grow as our young people expand their knowledge and abilities at the colleges and universities of their choice. We want to help students and their families discover those opportunities," said White.

     MGCCC is the sponsoring partner for the March 13th workshop; and college staff will be on hand to help parents who have not completed the FAFSA.

     Other Hancock Bank Paying for College workshops scheduled across the greater Mississippi Gulf Coast include Monday, March 26, 2007, 6:00 - 7:00 p.m., Pearl River Community College Hancock County Campus (Room 102); and Tuesday, March 27, 2007, at MGCCC Jackson County Campus in Gautier, Warner Peterson Building Lecture Hall, in partnership with MGCCC-Jackson County.

     To register for the workshops, parents may call (228) 822-4311.

Hancock Holding Company - parent company of Hancock Bank (Mississippi), Hancock Bank of Louisiana, Hancock Bank of Florida, and Magna Insurance Company - has assets of $6.26 billion at March 31, 2006. Founded in 1899, Hancock Bank stands among the strongest, safest five-star financial institutions in America. Hancock Bank is the only financial services company headquartered in the Gulf South to rate among the top 20 percent of America's top performing banks. Hancock Bank operates 100 Hancock full-service offices and 120 automated teller machines throughout South Mississippi, Louisiana, and Florida as well as subsidiaries Hancock Investment Services, Inc., Hancock Insurance Agency, and Harrison Finance Company. Investors can access additional corporate information or online banking and bill pay services online.

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