This column is provided as a service to the membership by APA's Office of Membership.

APA's Board of Trustees has approved a new member benefit designed to help APA members and their families achieve their education goals. This program, called PLATO (Personal Loans for Accredited Teaching Organizations) Members, offers financing for all education-related expenses including tuition, room and board, books, and fees.

The PLATO Members program is provided by APA and University Support Services Inc. (USS), a nonprofit organization dedicated to making education affordable for families in the United States. USS, which is located in Washington, D.C., has provided more than 250,000 loans approaching $2 billion to students and families since 1987 and currently works with more than 12,000 corporations in the United States.

The cost of education has increased significantly over the past 15 years (public school costs have increased 70 percent, and private school costs have increased 53 percent), while real median family income has increased only 3 percent. The average annual cost for a public four-year college in 1994-95 was $8,562. For a private four-year school, the average was $17,846.

Under the new program, APA members are eligible to borrow up to $25,000 a year, including up to $5,000 for a personal computer, for their own education or that of their spouse or children. Members also have the option of borrowing for a previous year's tuition and enjoy extra benefits such as low monthly payments, preapproval over the phone in five minutes, the ability to apply any time of the year, extended hours, and no application fee.

To receive more information on the new PLATO Members program, call a loan specialist at USS at (800) 204-3335 Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern time.

All APA benefit programs, including the PLATO Members program, have been approved by the APA Committee on Member Benefits, the APA Membership Committee, and the APA Board of Trustees. If you have any suggestions or comments regarding APA member benefits or would like a complete listing of benefit programs available to APA members, call the APA Office of Membership at (202) 682-6064.

APA welcomes the opportunity to hear from you about APA-sponsored benefit programs. Send your questions on the APA insurance and special benefit programs to Benefacts, Psychiatric News, APA, 1000 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, Va. 22209-3901.

(Psychiatric News, May 16, 1997)