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Stone Ridge Coping With Surrounding Road Construction

By WTOP Staff

3D rendering of Stone Ridge School's planned turf field, via Stone Ridge School 3D rendering of Stone Ridge School's planned turf field, via Stone Ridge School 3D rendering of Stone Ridge School's planned turf field, via Stone Ridge School 3D rendering of Stone Ridge School's planned turf field, via Stone Ridge School 3D rendering of Stone Ridge School's planned turf field, via Stone Ridge School

With State Highway construction on the edges of its campus and the summer closure of Cedar Lane nearing, the Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart is smack in the middle of some of the most pronounced BRAC-related changes in Bethesda.

It hasn’t been easy for Stone Ridge — a pre-K through grade 12 all-girls Catholic school that has also had to deal with the enrollment decreases that hit most private institutions during the recession.

During Tuesday’s meeting of the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Implementation Committee, Stone Ridge Board member and Committee representative Rich Vogel said the traffic-clogged state of Rockville Pike and the many road improvement projects did encourage a discussion of moving the school some place else.

But Stone Ridge leadership decided to stay put, doubling down on the school’s location at Rockville Pike and Cedar Lane with a campus improvement plan.

Construction could start on the first major part of that plan — a $6 million, FIFA regulated size turf field — in early May.

“It’s very much our home,” said Eric Osberg, the school’s director of finance and operations.

Osberg on Tuesday explained that the field was crucial to keeping Stone Ridge up to par with other private school facilities in the area. It’s also crucial to a new road and traffic circulation pattern on campus necessary because of SHA projects in the area.

The campus has three existing entrances, one on Rockville Pike and two on Cedar Lane.

The Rockville Pike entrance will have to be moved south toward Naval Support Activity Bethesda (NSAB) to accommodate SHA work on that side of the road — work that has already begun on the edges of Stone Ridge’s campus.

The Cedar Lane entrance that leads to a small parking lot will be closed permanently when SHA does its dedicated turn lane project on the road starting in June. That project will require Cedar Lane at Rockville Pike be shut down for a period of about two months, though exact details haven’t been provided by SHA.

Osberg said access will remain during the project at Stone Ridge’s other Cedar Lane entrance.

The turf field project will include construction of another road to be connected to an SHA-provided curb cut directly across from Elmhirst Parkway.

“That drove some of our own thinking about getting moving on some of the campus projects that we want to do,” Osberg said.

Stone Ridge was founded in 1923 and moved to the suburbs in the 1940s. It’s last major expansion came in 1996. A pool was built in 2005.

It’s largest enrollment was 812 students in the 2001-2002 school year. This year’s enrollment is 655 and Osberg said the school hopes to grow to a maximum of 740 students in the next five years.

“It is a campus that is ready for some investment and change,” Osberg said.

The overall expansion project will include reworked classrooms, upgraded gyms and a new performing arts center — the school currently does its major Christmas performance at The Music Center at Strathmore.

But the first phase of the project will be the field. The school’s existing grass athletics field isn’t holding up, Osberg said, especially compared to the new all-weather turf fields of other private schools and some public schools.

It will take about six months to complete the field, which will include bleachers, a retaining wall and wiring for field lights. It will serve the school’s field hockey, soccer and lacrosse teams as well as the school’s gym program.

Though Stone Ridge hopes to use the field exclusively through at least the spring of 2015, the school does anticipate it will rent out the facility to community recreation and sports league use.

3D Renderings via Stone Ridge School

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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