Sep 19, 2007: Monster and Bank of America Help Parents Prepare for College Financial Planning

Making It Count's "Making College Financial Planning Count"

seminar empowers parents to make sense of what can be an overwhelming

process

MAYNARD, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 19, 2007--For the fourth year in a row, Making It Count, an educational service provider for students and parents and a business unit of Monster Worldwide, Inc. (NASDAQ: MNST), and Bank of America, one of the world's largest financial institutions, are teaming up to help parents plan for and manage costs associated with their child's college education through their "Making College Financial Planning Count" program.

Beginning in September, 500 one-hour "Making College Financial Planning Count" seminars will be presented free to parents at high schools across the nation through April 2008.

The "Making College Financial Planning Count" seminar provides parents with a comprehensive overview of the college financial planning process, including:

-- Options for developing a college funding strategy including scholarships, grants and loans -- An introduction to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and provides critical tips and deadline dates -- Insight on how to send their child to college without risking the family's financial future -- A discussion of the affordability myth of public versus private colleges and universities

"The speaker was so enthusiastic and made what could have been very confusing easy to understand. Now I know where to begin and what direction to go in. Before tonight, I knew nothing about the process," says Karen Pruzansky, parent of a college-bound student and seminar attendee.

According to the College Board's 2006-2007 Trends in College Pricing the average total tuition and fees at four-year public colleges and universities are 6.3 percent higher than they were in 2005-06, and the average total tuition and fees at four-year private colleges and universities are 5.9 percent higher.

"It's no secret that the college financial planning process can be frustrating and confusing for parents of college-bound students. Combined with the rising costs of college, this can be a challenging time," said J.R. Cifiani, Vice-President and General Manager, Making It Count. "This program empowers parents to make sense of what can be an overwhelming process."

The Making College Financial Planning Count program can also be found online at www.elearning.makingitcount.com. The online tool gives parents and students an interactive overview of the college financing process. It provides information via audio and video, allowing parents and students to work at their own pace to create their personal college funding strategy. Here are some features of the online program:

-- Print checklists, lesson summaries and handbooks loaded with great tips, and link to free Web resources -- Plan for and manage college costs -- Save, update and print the family's personal college funding strategy

"Preparing for the cost of college can add undue stress to what's supposed to be an exciting chapter in the lives of students and their parents," said Tracy Grooms, Student Lending Executive, Bank of America. "Parents who attend a program session will walk away prepared with a better understanding of the college financial process as well as the knowledge and confidence for them to develop their own college funding plan."

In addition to the Making College Financial Planning Count program, Bank of America offers students and parents a variety of financial education programs in partnership with Monster's Making It Count to assist with developing smart money skills.

For more information about Making It Count's free "Making College Financial Planning Count" presentation, including the list of locations for the live presentation, please visit http://mcfc.makingitcount.com. For more information about, or to begin using the interactive, online version of the program , please visit www.elearning.makingitcount.com.

About Bank of America

Bank of America is one of the world's largest financial institutions, serving individual consumers, small and middle market businesses and large corporations with a full range of banking, investing, asset management and other financial and risk-management products and services. The company provides unmatched convenience in the United States, serving 57 million consumer and small business relationships with more than 5,700 retail banking offices, more than 17,000 ATMs and award-winning online banking with more than 22 million active users. Bank of America is the No. 1 overall Small Business Administration (SBA) lender in the United States and the No. 1 SBA lender to minority-owned small businesses. The company serves clients in 175 countries and has relationships with 98 percent of the U.S. Fortune 500 companies and 80 percent of the Fortune Global 500. Bank of America Corporation stock (NYSE: BAC) is listed on the New York Stock Exchange.

About Making It Count

Making It Count provides a nationally recognized series of live, in-school presentations that educate and motivate teens to excel in both personal and professional educational endeavors. Delivered by a roster of skilled presenters from a variety of backgrounds, including members of the U.S. Olympic Team, the corporate-sponsored programs reach more than 2.5 million students every year, and are hosted at over 5,000 high schools and 650 colleges nationwide. More information is available at http://www.makingitcount.com.

About Monster Worldwide

Monster Worldwide, Inc. (NASDAQ: MNST) parent company of Monster(R), the premier global online employment solution for more than a decade, strives to bring people together to advance their lives. With a local presence in key markets in North America, Europe, and Asia, Monster works for everyone by connecting employers with quality job seekers at all levels and by providing personalized career advice to consumers globally. Through online media sites and services, Monster delivers vast, highly targeted audiences to advertisers. Monster Worldwide is a member of the S&P 500 Index and the NASDAQ 100. To learn more about Monster's industry-leading products and services, visit www.monster.com. More information about Monster Worldwide is available at www.monsterworldwide.com.

Special Note: Safe Harbor Statement Under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: Except for historical information contained herein, the statements made in this release constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Such forward-looking statements involve certain risks and uncertainties, including statements regarding Monster Worldwide, Inc.'s strategic direction, prospects and future results. Certain factors, including factors outside of Monster Worldwide's control, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements, including economic and other conditions in the markets in which Monster Worldwide operates, risks associated with acquisitions, competition, seasonality and the other risks discussed in Monster Worldwide's Form 10-K and other filings made with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

CONTACT: Bank of America Diane Wagner, 312-828-2932 Diane.wagner@bankofamerica.com or Monster Tara Murray, 978-461-8126 Tara.Murray@monster.com SOURCE: Monster