New Start, a public service program sponsored by Spoon River College (Illinois) in cooperation with local public agencies and individuals in the community, was created to provide broad-based quality education, which includes both academic and vocational skills and personalized educational placement and counseling. Students qualify for New Start by meeting one of the following requirements: four-member family income less than $7,386 annually; recipient of public aid; non-high school graduate or reading level below 7.0; pattern of unemployment; or arrest record. Aspects of the program include: (1) compensatory education courses, i.e., an Adult Basic Education (ABE) course designed for those with extensive reading problems, pre-General Education Development (GED) courses in reading and mathematics, and a GED review; (2) vocational skills education at the college; (3) an outreach tutor who travels to the homes of students who cannot attend regular classes; (4) a recruitment, accountability, and placement (RAP) coordinator who gives special assistance to public aid recipients; (5) personal and vocational counseling; and (6) staff development. The program had 741 participants during 1977-1978. Of these, 549 were new enrollees; 543 were enrolled in the pre-GED and GED review courses; 115 acquired their GED certificates; and 337 have furthered their education at the college. (MB)