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Winter 2003 issue

Exciting NEW member benefits!

Discount dental, eye and
ear care for the entire family

Announcing discount dental, eye and ear care from a nationwide network for only $7.95 a month – includes the entire family! Save at least 20 percent – sometimes up to 50 percent – on virtually all dental procedures with the VRNA Membership Advantage Plan. Plus, save on eye exams, lenses and frames at EyeMed PPO network locations or LensCrafters. AND, save 15 percent on hearing aid services at Miracle Ear locations nationwide!

There are no limits, no maximums, and it covers your entire household!

For just $7.95 a month, you'll enjoy discount dental, eye and ear care as a VRNA member. Just call VRNA Member Services at 1-877-848-8762 to enroll in the program.

*Please note that enrollment takes approximately four weeks. Do not make appointments for care until you have received your discount card in the mail.

Discount cruise and vacation packages exclusively for VRNA members

Save on vacation and cruise packages through Rosenbluth Vacations! All cruise ships-all cabins come with a guaranteed VRNA discount! Book an air-inclusive vacation with Rosenbluth to the Caribbean, Hawaii, Florida, California, Mexico, Walt Disney World, Europe, Las Vegas and many more destinations and receive up to $150 OFF the already lowest rate! (Savings varies based on number of nights.) Discounts are greatest on the automated booking engine at www.vrna.org, but feel free to call 1-800-628-2632 and tell them you are with the VRNA.

VRNA discount from Barnes & Noble.com

VRNA, in partnership with Barnes & Noble.com, is proud to introduce VRNA's custom online bookstore!

All VRNA members save an additional 5% off all purchases made online on any product purchased through this store, whether for business use or personal enjoyment. So take advantage of Barnes & Noble.com's huge inventory of bestsellers, DVDs, music, audio books, textbooks and more!

Log on to the “members only” section of www.vrna.org for easy access to your Barnes & Noble.com custom online bookstore.

Allied Van Lines

With the addition of a National Corporate Account, Allied Van Lines and VRNA have teamed up to provide VRNA members and their families the finest in moving services.

For all household-goods interstate transportation needs, your contact is Jack M. Jacobs at 1-800-660-5420. Allied provides the VRNA member A FULL SERVICE MOVE which includes, discounted transportation costs, expedited pick up and deliveries. Full packing services if needed, and storage if required. Plus other services as your needs dictate. Full valuation coverage available on all VRNA shipments. Call Jack Jacobs to arrange your in-home survey and a full cost-breakdown on your move.

VRNA Makes Student Loans Easy and Affordable

The cost of education, as virtually every student, parent and grandparent knows, is rising much faster than disposable income. In the report Trends in College Pricing by the College Board, tuition and fees for the 2002–2003 academic year increased nearly 10.0 percent at private four-year colleges – the largest increase in a decade. Increasing education costs, combined with an uncertain economic outlook, leaves no doubt that students and their families require the best financing products available.

In response to rapidly-rising college costs, the VRNA has carefully selected EAS Group, LLC (EAS), and its leading group of student loan and consolidation lenders – the exclusive providers for the VRNA Endorsed Paying for Education Solutions Program.

The VRNA Paying for Education Solutions Program is designed to help students, families and schools fund educational dreams and promises. Whatever the situation, the VRNA Solutions Program offers the resources needed for successful student education financing.

About EAS

Making “paying for higher education and beyond” understandable and affordable is the mission of EAS Group, LLC. The EAS Alliance Group of which VRNA is a “Charter Member”, is a strategic network of leading associations representing more than six million association members/students and their families. The Educational Resource Center located at www.easnetwork.com is a one-stop, comprehensive, Web-based destination for information, education, financing solutions and other related products and services, that has been designed for exclusive use by association members.

The VRNA Paying for Education Solutions Program

  1. Federal Subsidized and Unsubsidized Stafford Student Loans are guaranteed by the federal government and offer low interest rates and fees. There are two types of Stafford loans: subsidized (based on need), where the federal government pays the interest while you're in school, and during grace and deferment; and unsubsidized (not based on need), where you're responsible for paying all the interest on the loan. When borrowing via the VRNA-endorsed program enjoy the rewards of borrowing from Educaid and take advantage of cash-back savings that can add up to 3.5 percent! The savings grows to 5.4 percent if you apply the rebate to reduce your principal.
  2. Federal PLUS Loans (Parent Loans for Undergraduate Students) allows parents to borrow money to cover any costs not already covered by the student's financial aid package, up to the full cost of attendance. Cash-back savings that can add up to 3.5 percent and can grow to 5.4 percent if the rebate is applied to reduce your principal is also available with the VRNA-endorsed PLUS Program from Educaid.
  3. eXpress Access Student Loan is a revolutionary new solution to paying for education. This credit-based loan is not tied to the school financial aid office. Our eXpress Access Student Loan puts the borrower in control. This unique new loan program is a direct-to-consumer, credit-based loan for education expenses for K-12 private school, through graduate and professional education, including continuing education. You can even pay past balances with the eXpress loan.
  4. Loan Consolidation saves money. Lock in the lowest FIXED interest rates in history and reduce your monthly student loan payments up to 50 percent. By obtaining a Consolidation loan, you will be given a FIXED interest rate from 3.5 to 4.875 percent, depending on when your variable rate student and parent loans were disbursed.
  5. Educaid Select Loans are available whether you have acceptable credit or no credit at all, this alternative loan will help you reach college graduation. As long as you're enrolled at least half time in an accredited undergraduate, master’s or doctoral program you can defer repayment for up to 48 months - 12 months longer than the usual 36 -month deferment.
  6. International Loans recognize the need for additional financial aid for international students. International students studying abroad or enrolled in approved foreign colleges or universities now have an option to help them pay for their education.

How Do I Find Out More?

To complete a loan application, or for information about the program, please visit the VRNA Paying for Education Solutions Program Website at www.easnetwork.com/asso/vrna/index.html, or contact EAS at info@easnetwork.com or call 1-866-EASGROUP – and be sure to reference VRNA.

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