MAYNARD, Mass., December 6, 2010 – As the holidays approach, many Americans are flocking to malls and scouring online stores for gifts for teenagers, who are notorious for being difficult to shop for– or are they? Fastweb, owned by Monster Worldwide, Inc., parent company of Monster.com®, the leading job matching engine (NYSE: MWW), recently surveyed its members to ask, “What gift do you want most for the holidays?,” and found that more than half of the respondents wanted money for college.

“Every year more teenagers are worried about paying for college, and there are many ways their friends and relatives can help,” said Mark Kantrowitz, publisher of Fastweb and nationally recognized expert on student financial aid. “For the holidays, friends and family can contribute to the student’s 529 college savings plan and help them search for scholarships. Every dollar saved or won is a dollar less the student will need to borrow to pay for their education.”

Fastweb surveyed 527 high school and college students, and found that only 12% wanted the newest technology gadgets for the holidays and 6% were thinking big and wanted a new car. While 20% wanted gift certificates, more than twice as many respondents (54%) were hoping for money for college. As a top web site for scholarship and financial aid information, one in three college-bound seniors visit Fastweb looking for financial assistance for school.

Giving the gift of money for college also saves loved ones from the embarrassment of giving a disappointing gift. Fastweb asked its users, “What is the worst gift you’ve ever received?,” and got some entertaining responses. The Fastweb “Top Ten Worst Gifts” hall of fame, made up of actual survey responses, include:

• A wooden stick doll without any eyes.
• An Eggstractor.
• A used led pencil.
• Toilet paper.
• A can of sardines.
• Coal.
• A calendar for 2009 that was given in December 2009.
• Q-tips.
• A box of gum.
• A dead mouse.

Other statistics from the Fastweb poll revealed that besides wanting money for college, some of the “most wanted” gift trends this holiday season include tablets, laptops, popular cell phones, MP3 players, and gaming systems. Also, 51% of respondents planned on working this holiday season, either to save money for college or holiday shopping, compared to 36% who either did not have time to work or did not want to work.

Since its launch as the first free scholarship matching site in 1995, Fastweb has helped more than 50 million users looking for a way to pay for college*. Fastweb offers personalized scholarship matches, internship and entry-level job opportunities, and expert financial aid advice at one convenient, online location

About Monster Worldwide
Monster Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: MWW), parent company of Monster, the premier global online employment solution for more than a decade, strives to inspire people to improve 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. To learn more about Monster’s industry-leading products and services, visit www.monster.com. More information about Monster Worldwide is available at www.about-monster.com.

About Fastweb
Fastweb is the nation’s recognized leader in helping students pay for school, by providing scholarship and financial aid information, as well as information on jobs and internships. One out of three college-bound seniors use the site, and more than 50 million* members have benefited from Fastweb’s information and services. Fastweb lets students create a personalized profile that can be matched against its expansive databases of colleges and scholarships. As the oldest and most popular free online scholarship matching service, the database has more than 1.5 million scholarships totaling over $3.4 billion.
*9 million are active users of the site

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Zora Falkowski
617-897-8247
Zora.Falkowski@porternovelli.com