XANTHUS HELP TO SPONSOR PRESTIGIOUS DICK HOWSER TROPHY

Contact Bo Carter
bo.carter@ncbwa.com
(214) 418-6132

In a joint announcement Wednesday, Xanthus CEO Jim Zach and Russ Sloan,
president of the St. Petersburg Area Chamber, denoted the new sponsorship
of the award. The 18th annual Xanthus Howser Trophy will be presented on
Friday, June 18, 2004, at a national news conference in the Omaha (Neb.)
Courtyard by Marriott.

The Xanthus Dick Howser Trophy, given in memory of the late Florida State
University All-America shortstop and major league player and manager who
died of brain cancer in 1987, is regarded by many as college baseball's
most prestigious award.

Criteria for consideration for the trophy include performance on the
field, leadership, moral character and courage, qualities that were exemplified
by Dick Howser's life.

All parties involved in the announcement appeared pleased with several
amenities that Xanthus will bring to the table for the 2005 Howser Trophy
selection process.

A total of 64 general fund scholarships totaling $64,000 will be donated
in honor of top baseball student-athlete nominees for the 05 Xanthus Howser
Trophy in the 45 states and District of Columbia in which Division I baseball
is played.

The 2005 Xanthus Howser Trophy recipient will have a $10,000 scholarship
awarded to his university by the corporation as well as a special presentation
at a football game on the winners campus or a designated home site (last
autumn·s ceremonial trophy handoff occurred at the 2003 Southern-Grambling
grid contest at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans to Southern All-America
and ·03 first draft choice 2B Rickie Weeks).

We could not be happier about the new association of Xanthus and the
Dick Howser Trophy,· Sloan said. ·It is an added bonus that Xanthus is located
in St. Petersburg, and we are pleased to be starting an outstanding new
partnership. This is an association that will last for a long time.

The scholarship program provided by Xanthus will be a wonderful boost
to higher education as well as a great recognition for the Xanthus Howser
Trophy winner and the 64 designated student-athletes who have excelled on
the playing field and in leadership and character areas,· he added.

We also are extremely excited about the Xanthus Howser Trophy,· said
Xanthus CEO Zach. ·The talent, baseball ability and character aspects of
the award are important to our organization. We have been fortunate to be
able to work on a nationwide basis with a productive student loan program
and debt management at no cost to students.·

Zach was joined on the national teleconference Wednesday by Chief Operations
Officer Brian Green and Chief Financial Officer Ray Otts. Zach and Otts
are both alumni of Florida State University where Howser starred as a student-athlete
and later head coach. FSUs campus baseball facility is Dick Howser Stadium.

A Florida native and high school legend in the Key West area, Howser
was twice an All-America shortstop at FSU (1957-58) and then coached the
Seminoles in 1979 after a career as a major league player and coach. The
personable college standout and successful Major League manager also served
as an analyst for ESPNs coverage of the 1981 NCAA World Series with Jim
Simpson. After one year in the college ranks, Howser returned to the majors
to manage the New York Yankees and Kansas City Royals and won the World
Series with the Royals in 1985.

The winner's name is inscribed on the permanent trophy, a bronze bust
of Howser permanently displayed at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, home
of the Tampa Bay D-Rays and the 1999 NCAA Men's Basketball Final Four, among
other championship events. Both the winner and his school receive a special
trophy to keep on public display at the university.

The St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce is in its third century of
service to the community and nation since its founding in 1899. The organization
has long been a vital force in the baseball affairs of the city, both in
spring training and during the pursuit of a major league baseball franchise
for the Tampa Bay area, and continues its solid role in the in both college
and professional sports as well as serving as the home for the Association
of Professional Baseball Leagues.

NCBWA membership includes writers, broadcasters and publicists. Designed
to promote and publicize college baseball, it is the sports only college
media-related organization, founded in 1962, and includes members from 40
states and three foreign countries. The Xanthus Howser Trophy was created
in 1987, shortly after Howser's death. 1987-98 winners were selected by
the American Baseball Coaches Association before the NCBWA became the official
voting body in 1999.

Previous winners of the Howser Trophy are Mike Fiore, Miami (Fla.), 1987;
Robin Ventura, Oklahoma State, 1988; Scott Bryant, Texas, 1989; Alex Fernandez,
Miami-Dade Community College South, 1990; Frank Rodriguez, Howard College
(Texas), 1991; Brooks Kieschnick, Texas, 1992 and 1993; Jason Varitek, Georgia
Tech, 1994; Todd Helton, Tennessee, 1995; Kris Benson, Clemson, 1996; J.
D. Drew, Florida State, 1997; Eddy Furniss, LSU, 1998; Jason Jennings, Baylor,
1999; Mark Teixeira, Georgia Tech, 2000; Mark Prior, Southern California,
2001; Khalil Greene, Clemson, 2002; Rickie Weeks, Southern, 2003.

Following is a profile of Xanthus Higher Education Loan Program, LLC:

What Is Xanthus Help

Xanthus Higher Education Loan Program, LLC, is headquartered in Tampa
Bay, Fla. Launched in July of 2002, Xanthus has experienced tremendous growth
in education college graduates to benefit from the Federal Consolidation
program for their student loans. Our dedication to excellence in customer
satisfaction and life-of-loan servicing sets Xanthus apart and ahead of
our competitors.

The leadership team brings over 80 years of combined experience in banking,
finance, and student loan consolidation. Xanthus employs a growing team
that includes Recovery Specialists, Quality Control Staff, and Loan Processors
as well as Account Executives, highly trained in meeting the various needs
of our customers. Since our inception, Xanthus has grown to assist student
loan borrowers with loan consolidations exceeding 20 million dollars per
month, with average borrower indebtedness in excess of $50,000. Our 2004
estimates place funded consolidations in excess of $400 million.

Our consolidation partners include American Education Services (AES)
and Pittsburgh National Corporation (PNC Bank), two leaders in the servicing
and funding of federally guaranteed student loans. AES, a division of Pennsylvania
Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA), has grown from a small student
loan guarantor with a volume of only 4,600 student loans in 1964, to one
of the largest, full-service financial aid organizations in the nation.
Pittsburgh National Corporation (PNC Bank) was established in 1852. PNC
Bank was the first to apply for a National Charter, and is ranked 11th among
Financial Institutions in the Nation. Together, AES and PNC are leaders
in the industry making postsecondary education a reality for thousands of
students.

Xanthus Higher Education Loan Program specializes in the marketing of
Federal Consolidation loans. In 2004, Xanthus will offer both Origination
and Consolidation Programs for Private Education Loans.

Todays academic and financial world rewards those who invite and nurture
meaningful partnerships, knowing that success is won through collaborative
effort. At Xanthus Higher Education Loan Program, we recognize the value
of these partnerships, and therefore, aggressively seek to develop these
partnerships on a daily basis.

What We Do

Xanthus currently markets our discounted loan programs to customers internally
through Account Executives, direct mailings, our website,
www.askhelp.org,
and print and Internet advertising, and a nationwide sales team.

Xanthus is able to offer our customers discounted loan programs because
of the relationships that we have with our lender. In exchange for the volume
of loans that we generate, our customers gain from benefits that are exclusive
to our program. Certain benefits would include Interest Rate Reductions
Programs, Repayment Assistance, and access to valuable Student Loan Information.