Nov. 20, 1997 Contact John R. Crosiar (541) 346-3135 EUGENE--Adrienne Young is earning her education with every University of Oregon class she takes and with every hour she can work. Thanks to an unheralded program offered by Tosco Marketing Corp., which operates BP service stations on the west coast, the Tualatin woman and a handful of UO students in similar circumstances can afford to stay in school. That's because Tosco has hired them for minimum-wage jobs offering flexible hours and tuition reimbursement. For Young, a sophomore psychology major with a business administration minor, staying in school and getting a degree is important for more than career-related reasons. She is a first-generation college student in her family. "I am independent and paying for school by myself," says Young, 19, a resident of 17440 S.W. Cheyenne Way, Tualatin. For a while, Young wasn't sure she would be able to return to school this fall. The problem for her, like so many other public college students in America, was that she didn't have enough money to pay tuition and fees that have climbed steeply as states' investment in higher education has declined. Last year, Young got some financial help from her father who took out a loan to help pay her college expenses. Unfortunately, Young's father couldn't help again this year. This left a huge hole in her financial needs that Young just couldn't fill with her financial aid package or on her own. She decided she had to get a job that would help her stay in school. Talking one day with co-worker Jim Paustian, voter education organizer at the Associated Students of the University of Oregon (ASUO), Young learned about the Tosco jobs program with its tuition reimbursements. This was what Young, who already received a monthly stipend for working 15-20 hours a week at ASUO, needed. She applied for a job, was hired and now works 20 hours a week for minimum wage at a Eugene area BP gas station owned by Tosco. At the end of each term, she submits her grades for evaluation by Tosco and receives a tuition-and-books reimbursement check from Tosco for $2,000. The amount of money a student receives in the Tosco reimbursement program is contingent on the amount of hours the student works. The more hours one works, the more money is reimbursed. A student has to maintain a 2.0 GPA (C average). Kindra May, manager of the BP gas station at 2091 Franklin Blvd. where Paustian, a sophomore sociology major of 4147 Cloud Dr. S., Salem, started with Tosco and where Young now works, is happy with college students' work ethic. "They are great! Student workers are hard workers and are willing to learn," May says. Although the Tosco program is open to all enrolled college students, not very many take advantage. "Since BP doesn't have a scholarship program, this is a way for them to give back to the community," says May. Working 40 or more hours a week and going to school full time isn't anyone's idea of a cake walk, so many students would stop there. Young, however, is a full time, active student in the university community. "I'm getting really good at operating without much sleep," she says. Young is active in her sorority, Kappa Kappa Gamma, and in student government where she is associate director of the ASUO Outreach program. In that job, successor to the former non-traditional student advocate position, Young's main interests this year are to encourage programming and advocacy for student parents and non-traditional students. Young also is a member of the Educational Opportunities Program which helps eligible students by offering tutors, drop-in help sessions on math and writing, and study skills workshops. To qualify for the EOP program, students must meet one of three criteria: have a low income, have parents who have not received a four-year college degree, or have physical or learning disabilities. -30- #H-2101/Hometowns,Special/eb