Bank of America Continues Sponsorship of Monsters Making It Count Programs

MAYNARD, Mass. - Monster(R), the global online careers and recruitment resource and flagship brand of Monster Worldwide, Inc. (NASDAQ: MNST), today announced that Bank of America is extending its primary corporate sponsorship of the Making College Financial Planning Count program, an evening program for parents that offers financial planning advice for college. Making It Count, a business unit of Monster, is an educational service provider for students and parents.

Developed for parents of college-bound students in grades 9-12, Making College Financial Planning Count is a live, free evening seminar that introduces college funding strategy and illustrates the options that can be used to finance a college education. The scope of topics includes an introduction to the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid), an overview of the many types of financial aid, and a discussion of how to identify and apply for scholarships. Families who attend will learn how to evaluate their own situation and develop a personal college-financing plan specific to their familyís resources and needs.

Last year, Monster and Bank of America joined together to offer more than 500 of these college-financing presentations across the country and plan to expand the program to reach an even more extensive audience for the 2005 - 2006 academic year.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, college fees have risen faster than the overall rate of inflation every year since 1982. What should be an exciting time for both students and parents has become a stressful experience, and we are thrilled with the opportunity to help families break the process down into more manageable steps. Last yearís Making College Financial Planning Count program was very successful, and we are delighted that Bank of America has chosen to collaborate with Monster once again to bring this valuable program to parents and students, said JR Cifani, Vice President, General Manager, Making It Count.

At Bank of America, we strive to help students and their parents achieve their dreams of obtaining a higher education. Making College Financial Planning Count is a powerful way to reach this demographic, and we are excited to continue as the primary corporate sponsor, said Don Mills, Senior Vice President, Student Banking at Bank of America.

Making College Financial Planning Count is one of several Making It Count programs. Other Making It Count programs are designed specifically for students: Making High School Count for high school freshmen, Making Your College Search Count for high school juniors, Making College & Career Count for high school seniors and The Ultimate Road Trip for college freshmen. All Making It Count student programs are designed to educate and empower students to recognize their potential for future success and make the most of their high school and college experiences.