Two Republican U.S. presidential candidates recently promised to help students by increasing the amount they can set aside for college without receiving tax penalties.

Both Texas Gov. George W. Bush and Elizabeth Dole proposed to raise the limit on money that can be placed in tax-free savings accounts for college students. The current legal limit is $500 per year per student.

The program was created through a 1997 tax law revision allowing a child's parents or other relatives to set up an education savings account to help pay tuition and other expenses at a public or private college. The interest earned on savings accumulates tax-free, and withdrawals for education expenses are not taxed.

Education savings accounts are not very popular in Athens right now, said Mary Christman, a customer service representative at Hocking Valley Bank.

"I have never set one up, and there are probably only about two or three at the bank right now," she said. "They are very simple to apply for, though, and I imagine we will have more once more people learn about them."

Bush and Dole's proposed accounts act as traditional savings accounts, but only can be used for educational purposes.

If the money is used for something other than education, there is a 10 percent penalty on the amount deducted. The money from an education savings account cannot be used in the same year that a parent also claims federal tax deductions for college tuition.

Legislators have tried to reform the law several times over the past three years, but President Bill Clinton has vetoed all attempts to apply the accounts to private, primary or secondary schools.

In an early October campaign speech, Bush outlined a plan to increase the amount to $5,000 per year, which is ten times the current amount, said Mindy Tucker, press secretary for the Bush for President campaign. He also would like to make the money available to all levels of education, including private elementary and high schools.

"The governor believes it is important to save money for school - kindergarten through college," she said.

Dole's plan is a little different, said Chris Hawes, deputy press secretary for the Elizabeth Dole for President exploratory committee. She would like to increase the amount of savings accounts to $3,000 per year and extend the accounts so they would apply to secondary schools.

"Mrs. Dole feels education at all levels should be a priority," Hawes said. "If a student is not properly prepared financially, it will hamper their chances for success."

Dole has not commented on whether she would consider a higher monetary limit such as the one proposed by Bush, Hawes said. She also has not considered allowing the savings accounts to apply to private primary school tuition.

Representatives for both candidates said they hope to increase public awareness about the program and its benefits.