Unless Congress acts, American Opportunity Tax Credit will expire at the end of 2012

Washington, DC - After hosting a series of campus forums at colleges across eastern Iowa last week, Rep. Bruce Braley (IA-01) returned to Congress today and introduced a bill to extend a $2,500 tax credit for middle class families sending children to college.  Unless Congress acts, the existing tax credit will expire at the end of 2012.

The College Tax Cut Extension Act would extend for four years the American Opportunity Tax Credit, which provides up to $2,500 in tax credits to offset the cost of tuition, fees, and course materials for undergraduate students at two- or four-year colleges and universities.

"In the last 10 years, the cost of tuition at Iowa's public universities has increased by 83 percent," Braley said.  "Our colleges and universities are avenues of economic opportunity.  If America is to compete in a global economy, we need to keep college within reach for everyone who wants to attend.

"This tax credit makes a college education more affordable for thousands of Iowa families.  Congress needs to act now to keep this tax cut from expiring so the dream of college doesn't slip out of reach."

Braley spent Thursday and Friday of last week hosting campus forums at colleges in eastern Iowa.  Braley visited St. Ambrose University, Coe College, the University of Northern Iowa, and Grinnell College to hear about college affordability, student debt, and employability after graduation.

The American Opportunity Tax Credit was first passed into law in 2009 and set to expire at the end of 2012 if Congress fails to act.  Braley's bill is the first legislative effort to extend the tax credit.  For more information on the American Opportunity Tax Credit, click the following link: http://go.usa.gov/nv1

Last week, Braley introduced legislation to indefinitely keep the interest rates for federally subsidized Stafford loans at 3.4 percent, their current, low rate.  Without Congressional action, college loan interest rates are set to double to 6.8 percent in July, a fact that President Obama highlighted in his State of the Union address.

More information about this bill can be found at this link: http://go.usa.gov/nbh

Full text of Braley's bill can be downloaded here: http://go.usa.gov/n7B

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Feb. 4 Ceremony Planned at Camp Lincoln in Springfield for Unit Recently Returned from Afghanistan

SPRINGFIELD, IL (02/01/2012)(readMedia)-- Approximately 20 Illinois Army National Guard Soldiers will be recognized Feb. 4 by the National Guard Bureau Freedom Salute Campaign for their sacrifice and service in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. The ceremony will be at the Illinois Military Academy at Camp Lincoln in Springfield at 10 a.m.

Soldiers of BEST (Bilateral Embedded Staff Team) A7 returned in October after being mobilized in January 2011 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. They joined the Polish Land Forces before arriving in Afghanistan and worked as a joint unit during the course of the mobilization. The Soldiers are from various parts of Illinois and were selected for the mission based on their training and skills.

The team provided operational, intelligence, logistical, communications, engineering and planning support to the ninth rotation of Polish Forces to Afghanistan. The task force it supported was composed of almost 4,000 Polish and U.S. forces assisting more than 9,000 Afghan security forces in one of the largest provinces in eastern Afghanistan.

The team completed several ongoing construction projects designed to improve the safety and expand the reach of all security forces in the Ghazni Province.

The Soldiers also established development and transition programs for several of the less violent districts.

Most of the team participated in convoy and combat operations supporting Polish and Afghan Forces.

The Freedom Salute Campaign program is a small way to show these patriotic citizen-Soldiers, their families and employers how much their sacrifice is appreciated. On behalf of the National Guard Bureau, the Illinois Army National Guard will present each eligible Soldier with an encased American Flag, as well as a sequentially-numbered

commemorative coin, certificate of appreciation and lapel pin. Families will also receive items recognizing their support and sacrifice. The Freedom Salute Campaign is one of the largest Army National Guard recognition endeavors in history. It is designed to publicly acknowledge Army National Guard Soldiers and those who supported them while deployed.

News media attending the event should arrive at least 30 minutes prior to the ceremony and are required to notify the Public Affairs Office by 3 p.m. Feb. 3 or they will not be granted access onto Camp Lincoln. For more information call the Public Affairs Office at 217-761-3569.

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WHEN: 2-11-12

TIME: 1 - 4 p.m.

WHERE: Knoxville Public Library, 200 East Main St., Knoxville, IL 61448

WHAT: Edwards, a resident of Yates City, IL, will be available to sign copies of her Fiction novel, The Legend of White Sky.

White Sky's brave, independent nature have helped her accomplish many goals, but will her greatest wish, to make her father proud, ever be fulfilled? Sioux twins White Sky and Little Wolf are convinced their roles were switched at birth. While Little Wolf is timid and ponderous like a maiden, White Sky is brave and adventurous like the warriors. When the time comes for Little Wolf to accomplish a great feat to establish his place in the village, he begs White Sky to find a way out of it. Her solution is to switch places, since their parents can only tell them apart by their differing personalities. So Little Wolf must become outgoing like his sister, and White Sky has to learn to tame her tongue. While this ultimate deception is difficult at first, the twins eventually grow into their new identities. Little Wolf studies the ways of Wovoka, the village medicine man, and becomes a successful healer. White Sky proves her fearless nature by taming a rattlesnake and a baby eagle. Due to inevitable changes, the truth of the twins' identities comes out in the thirteenth year of their birth. Their father, Great Hunter, is outraged, but only with White Sky since the role reversal was her idea. He breaks White Sky's beloved bow and arrow and gives away her horse. So that she will always remember her rightful place in the village, he then places a large amulet around her neck, which she must wear until she marries. Determined that she will never marry and that she will prove her worth to her father, White Sky vows to kill the grizzly bear Evil Claw and tame the elusive wild white stallion. What she doesn't plan on is falling in love with a warrior from an enemy tribe. Will White Sky fulfill her promises to herself? Will The Legend of White Sky be forever etched upon the hearts of her people?

For more information, contact Chris Coffey at 888-361-9473 or ccoffey@tatepublishing.com

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CHICAGO, IL (01/31/2012)(readMedia)-- The following local residents made the Dean's List at DePaul University for the fall quarter of 2011:

Alyssa Phelan of Bettendorf

Mark Lazio of Davenport

Alex Wolking of Rock Island

Cody Williams of Orion

Elizabeth Knowlton of Port Byron

In order to qualify for the Dean's List at DePaul, students must earn above a 3.0 grade point average on a four point scale.

With more than 25,000 students, DePaul University is the largest Catholic university in the United States and the largest private, nonprofit university in the Midwest. The university offers 275 graduate and undergraduate programs of study in ten colleges and schools on three Chicago campuses and three suburban campuses.