NATCHEZ &8212; Families with children expecting to attend college will have a chance on Saturday to learn more about how to afford higher education.

Janice Davis, a 2003 Natchez High School graduate and a candidate for graduation in 2007 from Stanford University in California, has put together a seminar, &8220;How to Attend College and Not Pay for It,&8221; 10 a.m. to noon, at City Auditorium.

Davis, who is in a human biology/pre-med program at Stanford, wanted to do something for young people in her hometown, she said. A track star in high school and college and attending Stanford on an athletic scholarship, she thought first of offering a track clinic.

&8220;But not everyone is athletically inclined,&8221; she said. &8220;I was sitting around talking with my roommate, who is from India. She started studying science when she was 6, the same time I started track.&8221;

It occurred to Davis that there is a reason she is the only one from Mississippi attending Stanford. &8220;It&8217;s not that we are not motivated in Mississippi; we don&8217;t have the information.&8221;

The seminar will be set up so that parents and students may choose the experts they think may help them most. The areas to be covered will include how to apply for grants, financial aid and scholarships and how to fill out applications to make admissions officers notice, for example.

Davis has started to visit schools and distribute flyers this week. She hopes to attract a diverse group. &8220;Diversity is important to me,&8221; she said.

Panelists include:

4Davis, who will speak on &8220;Junior College Transfers.&8221;

4James Beck, a 2005 Yale University graduate in sociology and a 2007 candidate for an M.A. in counseling from Vanderbilt University, will talk about &8220;Getting Started.&8221;

4TaSheitha Butler, a 2005 graduate in biochemistry from the University of Mississippi and a 2007 candidate for an M.A. in health administration from Indiana University, will speak on &8220;National State, Local and Institutional Opportunities for Scholarship Money.&8221;

4Sanquanett Jones, a 2005 graduate of Mississippi State University in electrical engineering and a 2007 candidate for an MBA at Purdue University, will speak on &8220;Academic and Merit-Based Scholarships.&8221;

4Kelvin Harris, a 2004 graduate of Mississippi State University with a B.S. in biological sciences and a 2007 candidate for an M.S. degree in microbiology at MSU, will speak on &8220;NCAA Clearinghouse.&8221;

4Michael Winn, a 2009 candidate for a doctor of pharmacy degree from Xavier University, will speak on &8220;The Importance of ACT Test Preparation.&8221;

4Brittany Thomas, a 2007 candidate for a B.S. degree in biological sciences/pre-med at Mississippi State University, will speak on &8220;State Scholarships.&8221;

4Jacob Stutzman, a 2002 summa cum laude graduate of Troy State University in political science and a 2005 graduate of the University of Mississippi School of Law, will speak on &8220;Maintaining Scholarships and Life Beyond College.&8221;

4Lance Reed, holding a 1996 degree in mathematics and 1998 M.Ed. in mathematics education from Louisiana Tech University, will speak on &8220;NCAA Football Recruiting.&8221;

4Juanita Russell, a 1986 graduate in business administration and 1992 graduate with an M.S. in guidance education, both from Alcorn State University, will speak on &8220;Financial Aid.&8221;

4Wanda McGowan, who holds a master&8217;s degree in political science from the University of Southern Mississippi and a Ph.D. in political science from Clark-Atlanta university, will speak on &8220;College Admissions.&8221;