ROCKVILLE, MD - Back-to-school shoppers will spend an average of $5, 423 getting ready for the new school year, according to a survey by Myvesta.org, a nonprofit financial solutions organization, and Capital One Financial Corporation, a financial services company.

Back-to-school shoppers were asked if they would make any of their purchases this year via the Internet. Just over half (51.6 percent) of back-to-school shoppers said they will browse the Internet for information about products, while only one in four (25.5 percent) said they will make at least one purchase online.

According to Capital One, shopping online with a credit card is not only safe and convenient, it offers consumers tools for managing their back-to-school purchases. The Internet offers shoppers access to hundreds of sites, making comparison shopping easier and faster than ever. In fact, Greenfield Online's Shopping Index VIII for the first quarter of 2000 reveals that 46 percent of all consumers find the lowest price for items online.

During the Myvesta.org/Capital One survey, 1,002 people were asked about back-to-school purchases for themselves, members of their families and/or others. Their average spending for each of seven categories included:

• Electronics: $591 (Computers, printers, software, calculators, beepers, cell phones.)
• Clothing: $540 (Coats, shoes, uniforms, backpacks, accessories.)
• Fees: $2,457 (Application fees, tuition, health assessments, deposits.)
• Sporting activities: $392 (Equipment, jerseys, sporting uniforms, coaching fees.)
• Dorm room supplies: $181 (Bedding, towels, toiletries, refrigerators, cooking supplies.)
• Desk supplies: $142 (Pens, pencils, notebooks, books, reference materials.)
• Transportation: $1,610 (Air, bus and rail travel, car purchase, subway passes.)
• Total for back-to-school: $5,423 (The average of all responses.)

If a shopper puts $5,423 in school purchases on a credit card with a typical interest rate of 17.99 percent and pays only the minimum each month, it will take 48 years to pay off the debt. Paying just the minimum over that amount of time quadruples the debt to a total of $20, 843.

Myvesta.org is holding a contest to find the thriftiest back-to-school shopper. Send money-saving ideas to: Thrifty@myvesta.org or Back-to-School Contest, P.O. Box 8587, Gaithersburg, MD 20898-8587. Entries will be accepted until September 8. Winners will be announced September 20 and will receive a $100 American Express Gift Cheque, along with gift packs from Myvesta.org and Capital One. For more information, visit Myvesta.org.

The survey was conducted between July 21 and 23.

LOCH SHELDRAKE - For the first time this fall, Sullivan County Community College (SCCC) will be offering courses from the Bachelor of Arts degree program at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice. The upper-division courses will be offered on a part-time basis and will lead to the degree in Criminal Justice with a concentration in one of the following: Law and Due Process, The Police and the Community, The Courts and the Criminal Justice System and Corrections or Crime and Society.

The two courses scheduled for the fall semester are "American Judiciary" on Tuesdays and "Penology" on Wednesdays. Both run from 6:00 to 8:40 p.m. at the SCCC campus.

To qualify for the Criminal Justice degree program, a student must have 60 credits or an Associate's degree. In addition, SCCC will also offer general education as well as major pre-requisite courses to prepare new students for the program. Students who receive a SCCC Associate's degree can then transfer directly into the John Jay Criminal Justice program.

For more information contact Program Coordinator Marie Henry at 845/434-5750, ext. 4339.

REGION - Sullivan County VOD Chairman Commander Verl Ringgenberg of VFW Post 7276 of Long Eddy NY announced the start of this year's Veterans of Foreign Wars and its Ladies Auxiliary "Voice of Democracy Scholarship Contest." Local students have the opportunity to compete in the 54th annual audio essay contest and win valuable scholarships and awards.

Students that advance to become their state's first place winner are given the opportunity to expand their knowledge during a four-day tour of Washington, D.C., plus the chance to meet and befriend students from every state.

During the many years that the VFW and its Ladies Auxiliary have been involved with "Voice of Democracy," more than 7 million high school students have participated. Interested students need only write and then record a three to five minute audio/essay while expressing their view of the patriotic theme "What Price Freedom?" All state winners receive at least a $1,000 National Scholarship but could also win the $25,000 first place award. A total of $139,500 in National Scholarships are awarded to student national finalists. The deadline date for student entry is November 1.

For details and entry forms visit www.vfw.org/vod or contact your local VFW Post.