ST. LOUIS, MO (06/04/2013)(readMedia)-- These students earned Deans List honors for the Spring Semester 2013 at Maryville University in St. Louis.

The honorees include :

Stacy Clark of Riverdale, IA; studying in Maryville's School of Education.

Mark Struve of Davenport, IA; studying in Maryville's College of Arts and Sciences.

Maryville University congratulates these students on achieving academic excellence for the spring semester. Undergraduate students are eligible for the Dean's List when they complete at least 12 Maryville University credit hours in a semester with a minimum of a 3.5 grade-point average on a 4.0 (pefect) scale..

About Maryville University

Founded in 1872, Maryville University is an independent, four-year, private university located in St. Louis, Missouri. Designated by US News & World Report as the nation's top overperforming university, Maryville University offers more than 50 undergraduate majors, and many master's and doctoral degrees.

Washington, D.C. - Congressman Dave Loebsack today called on House leaders, Speaker John Boehner and Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, to work to bring legislation to the floor that can be passed by both Chambers and signed into law to prevent student loan rates from doubling.  Student loan interest rates are currently 3.4 percent, but are set to double to 6.8 percent on July 1^st.  If Congress does not act, that average borrower's debt would increase by $1,000.  As the only member of the Iowa delegation to serve on the House Education and the Workforce Committee, Loebsack, a cosponsor of the Student Loan Relief Act of 2013 (H.R. 1595), has helped lead the fight to ensure students do not see a raise in interest rates.

"If the interest rates are allowed to rise, the average borrower's debt would increase by $1,000.  As Iowa borrowers have some of the highest student loan debt in the nation, this increase will have a disproportionate effect on the students and families I represent," Loebsack wrote to House Leaders. "We need to address student loan debt in the interest of our economy.  We must prepare our students for the kind of middle class jobs that will drive our economic recovery forward.  Our graduates are not able to fully participate in our economy by purchasing cars or homes or starting a family when they are saddled with insurmountable student loan debt."

A copy of the letter can be found here.

As a member of the House Education and the Workforce Committee, Loebsack has championed numerous pieces of legislation to increase access to higher education, including:

·         College Cost Reduction and Access Act (CCRAA) Loebsack helped craft and pass this legislation, which makes college more affordable and accessible for all Iowans by increasing the maximum Pell Grant scholarship and expanding eligibility;

·         Year Round Pell Grants Loebsack authored a provision that created year-round Pell grants in the Higher Education Opportunity Act, which was signed into law in 2008.  However, the year-round Pell grant was unfortunately eliminated in 2011.  In response to the ongoing need for more flexibility, Loebsack partnered with Rep. Cheri Bustos (IL-17) to introduce legislation which would reinstate the flexibility that was provided by Loebsack's provision in 2008.

·         Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act Loebsack was a cosponsor of this bill, which will save American taxpayers $61 billion by making the student loan process more efficient.  The bill further expanded the maximum Pell Grant available from $5,550 in 2010 to $5,975 in 2017, granting Iowa students more than $291 million for higher education. This bill was the largest single investment in student aid in America's history, and will make college more accessible, transform the way student loan programs operate and strengthens community colleges

The Moline Foundation awarded almost $20,000.00 in scholarships to 20 college-bound students this spring. The following scholarships were awarded:

Dolores A. Hulse-DiIulio Scholarship: Tracy Pollock, Moline High School, $1,000.00. The scholarship provides funds to a deserving female student graduating from Moline High School who plans to pursue a bachelor's degree in chemistry, physics, engineering or pre-medicine. Pollock plans to attend Loyola University, Chicago, IL to pursue a degree in Chemistry. Hulse-DiIulio was a chemistry teacher at Moline High School for 36 years, retiring in 1994.

Lee Womack Memorial Scholarship: Brandon Sanchez, Moline High School, $1,000.00. The scholarship provides funds to a Moline High School graduate who plans to obtain a degree in education. Sanchez plans to study History at Carthage College, Kenosha, WI. The scholarship was established by Womack's wife, Peggy and the Lee Womack Memorial Golf Outing Steering Committee. Annually since his death, a golf outing has been held in his memory to raise funds for a local charity. In 2004, the scholarship fund was established and is now administered by the Moline Foundation.

Moline High School Class of '59: Aubrey Foulk and Abigail Ryser, both graduates of Moline High School, $1,000.00 each. Foulk plans to major in Environmental Science at Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa. Ryser plans to major in Biology/Pre-Medicine at Augustana College, Rock Island, IL. The fund was established by the Class of '59 as a way to commemorate their 50^th class reunion. Funds are raised by class member and volunteers through various fundraisers.

Maggie Webb Scholarship: Alejandro Raya, Moline High School, $1,500.00. Raya plans to major in Acting at Illinois State University, Normal, IL. The fund was established as a memorial to Maggie Webb, a 2001 graduate of Moline High School who was killed in December 2007 in a mass shooting at an Omaha Mall.

Clem T. Hanson Scholarship: Karim Hosameldin, Amanda Johnson and Brandon Sanchez, all graduates of Moline High School, $1,500.00 annually for the next four years. Hosameldin plans to major in Civil Engineering at Bradley University, Peoria, IL. Johnson plans to major in Deaf Education/Sign Language Interpretation at MacMurray College, Jacksonville, IL. and Sanchez plans to major in History at Carthage College, Kenosha, WI. The fund was established through the generosity of Clem T. Hanson (1901-1985), a former Moline businessman and community leader.

DARE Scholarship: Becky Lankford, Aubrey Foulk and Jared Larson , $1,000.00. . The scholarship provides funds to a Moline High School graduate based on academic merit, good citizenship, attendance, and active involvement in school and community. Lankford plans to major in Materials Engineering at University of IL, Champaign-Urbana, IL. Foulk plans to major in Environmental Science at Iowa State University in Ames, IA. Larson plans to attend Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, OH. The DARE scholarship is based upon the principles of the former DARE anti-drugs program in Moline-Coal Valley elementary schools.

Lee McAllister Scholarship: Taylor VanHyfte and Amanda Johnson, $1,000.00 each. The scholarship provides funds to a Moline High School graduate planning to major in education. VanHyfte plans to major in Psychology at BlackHawk College, Moline, IL and Johnson plans to major in Deaf Education/Sign Language Interpretation at MacMurray Colllege, Jacksonville, IL. This scholarship was established in memory of Lee McAllister who taught in the Moline Schools from 1948 to 1981.

Stan Woods Scholarship: Allison Condit, $1,000.00. The scholarship provides funds to a Moline High School graduate based on community involvement and leadership and academic achievement. Condit is majoring in American Sign Language Interpreting at Bethel College in Mishawaka, IN. This scholarship was established in memory of Stan Woods who was a teacher, guidance counselor and dean of students in Moline School District No. 40. Former students, co-workers, parents, and the community have contributed to the Woods Scholarship Fund.

Srikanth Yerra Scholarship: Karim Hosameldin, $500.00. This scholarship provides funds to a Moline School District graduate or community college student based on financial need and potential for future personal achievement. Hosameldin is majoring in Civil Engineering at Bradley University, Peoria, IL. The family established this scholarship in memory of Srikanth Yerra, a 2005 graduate of Moline High School.

Moline Kiwanis Scholarship: Aubrey Foulk, Michael J. Ryan and Becky Lankford, $1,000.00 each. Foulk plans to major in Environmental Science at Iowa State University, Ames, IA. Ryan plans to major in Psychology at Bethel University at St. Paul, MN and Lankford plans to major in Materials Engineering at University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana, IL.

The Moline Foundation, founded in 1953, is a community foundation which provides grants to benefit health, human services, education, community development, the arts and other charitable organizations which help the citizens of Moline and the surrounding area, including the Quad Cities. The Moline Foundation receives and administers charitable gifts in Scott County, Iowa, and Rock Island, Henry, Mercer, Warren, Henderson and McDonough counties in Illinois. The Moline Foundation has a current endowment of approximately $17 million.

-30-

With sky high loan rates and even higher drop-out rates, do these colleges educate students or bankrupt them?

Tonight, Tuesday, June 4 at 8:00pm ET

DALLAS -June 3, 2013  This week on "Dan Rather Reports" we take an in-depth look at the business of for-profit colleges.  Schools like ITT Technical Institute, DeVry University and University of Phoenix differ from schools such as Penn State or USC because they actually treat education as a business - teaching students while still turning a profit.  And, while most people may be aware that these colleges are for-profit, what they probably don't know is that most of these profits come from the federal government.  In fact, in 2012 ITT Tech reported revenue of 1.3 billion dollars - more than 1 billion of that came from the taxpayers.

This taxpayer money comes in the form of Pell Grants, money that the Government gives to low income students to help fund a college education, and federal student loans.

"I always said they had a bad business model and the business model was, go out and recruit the poor students. Why? They get the most Pell grants and they get the most loans," Iowa Senator, Tom Harkin told Dan Rather.

Harkin lead a Washington investigation into for-profit colleges and how students, who drop out, or who have to take on high interest personal loans in order to bridge financial gaps, are affected by the expense of a for-profit education.

In the case of ITT Tech, Harkin's investigation uncovered a huge disparity in costs.

"The cost for the associate degree was $48,000.  Two years." Harkin told Rather.  "Not too far away is Des Moines Community College.  Exact same degree, $9,000."

And, students at for-profit colleges default on the Federal loans at twice the rate of those attending traditional colleges.  They are responsible for half the Federal loan defaults while only making up 10% of the student body.

And while these numbers look to stack up against for-profit colleges, those in the industry say that they are offering an important service to high risk students.

Steve Gunderson, President of the Association of Private Sector Colleges and Universities (the organization that lobbies on behalf of the industry) tells Rather, "92% of the students who enroll in our schools are non-traditional students.  Almost every student has multiple barriers to academic success."

But when questioned about high interest rates on the loans that these students must obtain to pay tuition, and whether or not the schools could charge less money, Gunderson says, "What's the school to do? I think you and I would both criticize the school more if they abandoned the student at the 96^th percentile of their academic journey." 

"Dan Rather Reports:  For-Profit Colleges" airs Tuesday, June 4 at 8:00pm ET/5:00 p.m. PT only on AXS TV.

For more information, visit Dan Rather Reports,Dan Rather's Official website, Dan Rather Reports on Facebook and Dan Rather Reports on Twitter.

About AXS TV

Launched in July 2012 under the vision and stewardship of entrepreneur Mark Cuban, AXS TV is the premier destination for live events, breaking news, and as-they-are-happening trends in the worlds of pop culture, music, fashion, and entertainment.

AXS TV Concerts is the premier source on television for 100% live music.  From multi-day festivals to stadium tours to club acts, AXS TV delivers an unparalleled shared experience for fans of all genres. Leveraging the network's vast landscape, artists expand their reach to live behind-the-scenes moments, live fan Q&As, social media engagement and more unique opportunities specifically for the AXS TV audience. With multiple live concerts weekly, AXS TV is the number one destination for artists and their fans to experience and share a pure live event in the world of music and pop culture. Live LIVE!

The largest independently owned and operated network, AXS TV was developed by entrepreneur Mark Cuban and General Manager Philip Garvin.  The network partners include Mark Cuban, AEG, Ryan Seacrest Media and Creative Artists Agency (CAA).  AXS TV is available in the U.S. via AT&T U-verse, Charter, Comcast/Xfinity, DIRECTV, DISH Network, Insight, Suddenlink, Verizon FiOS, and other TV providers.

AXS TV can be found online at www.axs.tv, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/axstv and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/axstv. AXS TV Concerts can be found online at www.axs.tv, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/axstvconcerts and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/axstvconcerts.