Monster Announces Bank of America as Sponsor for its Making it Count Program

MAYNARD, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 18, 2004-- As 2004 draws to a close, students nationwide are completing their college applications and preparing to take the next educational step -- choosing which college to attend next year. While an exciting time, both students and parents feel the angst associated with financing this level of schooling. To assist families in this important process, Monster(R) provides Making College Financial Planning Count, an educational program for parents that offers planning advice on financing a college education. Today, Monster announced that Bank of America, one of the nation's largest providers of education financing solutions, is the primary corporate sponsor of the program. Making It Count, an educational service provider for students and parents, is a business unit of Monster, the leading global online careers property and flagship brand of Monster Worldwide, Inc. (NASDAQ: MNST).

The educational landscape has changed in recent years, due in part to annual tuition increases that far exceeded the growth in the average family's income. Families today have many decisions to make when it comes to college financing. To address this need, Monster's Making It Count business unit has developed Making College Financial Planning Count, specifically designed for parents of students in grades 9-12. Families who attend this live, free evening seminar learn how to evaluate their own financial situation in the context of paying for their child's college education. Using the information provided in this presentation, families are able to develop their own personal college-financing plan.

The new sponsorship agreement with Bank of America will provide thousands of parents with the information they need to help finance their child's college education. The program introduces a five-level plan designed to illustrate a variety of strategies that can be used to finance education. Topics of discussion include everything from filling out the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) to advice about locating scholarships.

"We are pleased that Bank of America sees the value of our Making College Financial Planning Count presentation as a way to help parents plan for the difficult financial choices that lie ahead," said JR Cifani, Vice President for Making It Count.

"At Bank of America, we strive to help students and their parents achieve their dreams of higher education. We see our sponsorship of Making College Financial Planning Count as a valuable extension of that work," said Kathy Cannon, Student Banking Executive.

Making College Financial Planning Count is one of several Making It Count programs. Other programs include: Making High School Count, Making Your College Search Count, Making College & Career Count, and The Ultimate Road Trip, for college freshmen. All Making It Count 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.

About Monster

Celebrating its 10-year anniversary, Monster is the leading global online careers property. A division of Monster Worldwide (NASDAQ: MNST), Monster works for everyone by connecting quality job seekers at all levels with leading employers across all industries. Founded in 1994 and headquartered in Maynard, Mass., Monster has 25 local language and content sites in 23 countries worldwide. Monster is the official online career management services sponsor of the 2004 U.S. Olympic Team. More information is available at www.monster.com or by calling 1-800-MONSTER. To learn more about Monster's industry-leading employer products and services, please visit http://recruiter.monster.com.

About Making It Count

Making It Count provides a nationally recognized series of live, in-school presentations that educates and motivates 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 reached their 10 millionth student this year, and are hosted at over 5,000 high schools and 650 colleges nationwide. More information is available at http://www.makingitcount.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 the company's strategic direction, prospects and future results. Certain factors, including factors outside of our 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 we operate, risks associated with acquisitions, competition, seasonality and the other risks discussed in our Form 10-K and our other filings made with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which discussions are incorporated in this release by reference.

CONTACT: Monster
Kevin Mullins, 978-461-8751
kevin.mullins@monster.com
or
Weber Shandwick Worldwide
Kerry Parke, 617-520-7066
kparke@webershandwick.com

SOURCE: Monster