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Egypt’s Brotherhood says vote is ‘null and void’

By WTOP Staff

SARAH EL DEEB
Associated Press

CAIRO (AP) — The political party of Egypt’s Islamist president ousted by the military last year said Wednesday it considers the election of the former army chief as the next president “null and void” and will accept nothing short of the reinstatement of Mohammed Morsi.

The statement by the Muslim Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party underlined the depth of the rift in Egypt as retired Field Marshal Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi prepares to be sworn into office on Sunday.

El-Sissi, then Egypt’s top officer, masterminded the removal of Morsi on July 3 after massive protests against the country’s first democratically elected president. Since then, the military-backed government has waged a crackdown on Morsi’s supporters that has killed hundreds, arrested thousands and shattered the Brotherhood, once Egypt’s strongest political organization.

El-Sissi was elected president with a landslide victory in a three-day vote held last week.

The Freedom and Justice Party said it “doesn’t recognize the alleged coup regime or any of its decisions that have been or will be issued since July 3 until the return of the elected President Mohammed Morsi to his post as the president of the Republic of Egypt.”

Al-Jazeera’s Egypt channel, meanwhile, said Wednesday that it had obtained a letter from Morsi, who has been detention since his ouster and is on trial on a number of charges, some of which carry the death penalty.

According to the channel, the letter labels el-Sissi’s election as a farce and calls on his supporters to continue their opposition to authorities. “Your revolution will be victorious in the near future,” Al-Jazeera quoted Morsi as writing.

The Muslim Brotherhood and its Islamist allies have held nearly daily protests demanding Morsi’s return, though they have been limited in recent months under the weight of the crackdown.

It did not say how the letter was obtained and there was no way to verify its authenticity.

“I spared no effort to fight corruption and crime, through the law at times but more often through revolutionary measures,” Morsi wrote, according to the station. Referring to the extraordinary measures taken by authorities to get the vote out in last week’s election, he said Egyptians “slapped them down … and humiliated them.”

Also Wednesday, the outgoing interim president gave an emotional farewell speech Wednesday, saying the public must rise to its responsibilities in the face of the country’s enormous challenges — echoing el-Sissi’s campaign theme that Egyptians must put end turmoil to allow reconstruction.

Adly Mansour said the country is “in better shape” today after the passing of an amended constitution and the presidential elections. But he said Egyptians must distance themselves from “personal interests, group demands or party inclinations” so the country can regain its strength.

The head of the Supreme Constitutional Court, Mansour was installed as interim president after Morsi’s ouster — and ended up serving almost as long as Morsi.

During that time — besides the turmoil of Islamist protests and the crackdown — a low-level militant insurgency in the Sinai spread to other parts of Egypt, targeting mostly police and military and killing hundreds. Militant groups said they are avenging the removal of Morsi and the crackdown.

Also, criticism grew among non-Islamists over signs the government was stifling other forms of dissent.

Mansour becomes Egypt’s second president to peacefully hand over office to a successor. The only other one was another interim figure, Sufi Abu Taleb, who served only for around a week between the 1981 assassination of President Anwar Sadat by Islamic militants and the swearing in of Hosni Mubarak, who ruled for 29 years until he was toppled in a 2011 popular uprising.

Egypt’s first president after a 1952 coup against the monarchy, Mohammed Neguib, was removed and put under house arrest by his successor, Gamal Abdel-Nasser, who died in office.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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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