THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Thursday, January 19, 1995             TAG: 9501170119
SECTION: NORFOLK COMPASS          PAGE: 13   EDITION: FINAL 
                                             LENGTH: Short :   28 lines

GROUPS TO FORM NATIONAL LINK TO HELP STUDENTS GET COLLEGE AID

Members of five organizations that help high school students find financial aid for college, including the Tidewater Scholarship Foundation, will meet Friday in Norfolk to forge a national link.

The National College Access Network will work on the national level to secure federal and foundation funding for members of the group. It will also serve as a clearinghouse for information.

The Tidewater Scholarship Foundation, known as ACCESS, will host representatives of similar programs from Baltimore, Cleveland, Philadelphia and Winston-Salem.

Officials with ACCESS, formed in 1988, reported earlier this month that the group had assisted 6,500 students in Norfolk and Portsmouth, helping them find more than $22 million in financial aid. ACCESS helps students apply for college and pays for college entrance exams and applications.

Persons may contact the foundation at 800 E. City Hall Ave., P.O. Box 1357, Norfolk, Va., 23501. Phone number is 441-2867. by CNB