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College students re-engineer the Chevy Malibu in eco-challenge

By WTOP Staff

WASHINGTON – For the past three years, teams of college students have been working on making D.C.- area workers’ commutes more bearable.

No, they can’t eliminate gridlock. But they can put drivers behind the wheel of a more fuel-efficient, eco-friendlier and comfortable car.

At least that’s the goal of the EcoCar2 Challenge, co-sponsored by General Motors and the U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory.

Fifteen teams from colleges and universities across North America are taking part in the EcoCar2 challenge. And they parked, hoods up for inspection, at L’Enfant Plaza’s promenade Thursday.

So what happens when a bunch of college students are handed a 2013 Chevy Malibu and told to get to work?

Lucas Shultz, who was the business manager for the Virginia Tech team, introduced reporters to “Mary the Malibu” and her high-voltage battery system.

“If you owned Mary the Malibu, you would be able to get to and from work every day without burning any gasoline,” Shultz says.

Shultz says that’s based on the average commute. So he says, a drier could travel on electric power exclusively for 40 miles. After that point, “You’ll be burning gas, but you’ll be doing it much more efficiently” than in a conventional car.

Can the Virginia Tech team make commutes less painful?

“I cannot promise that,” Shultz says. But he promises that the drive would be more enjoyable thanks to an infotainment center.

But it’s not just about music and entertainment.Drivers can see how much charge is left in the battery and the team reconfigured the climate-control so that both drivers and passengers can adjust to the controls to their liking.

Benjamin Sattler with the Penn State team made the pitch for the school’s EcoCar2 vehicle, which as he explained, has a small engine.

“Because it’s such a small engine, it runs really efficiently.” But Sattler says that doesn’t mean you’ll lose pick-up.

Sattler says conventional engines have something called a torque curve, which means power can vary.

“But with an electric motor, that torque curve is a flat line, so you have all your torque all the time. So that means if you floor it, going zero miles an hour, you get the same amount of power” as you would in a conventional engine going at 30 to 40 miles an hour.

The teams also checked out eachother’s handiwork.

␎ ecochallenge_miss_kry.JPG

Mississippi State University team member Trent Workman makes some adjustments to the school’s Chevy Malibu. (WTOP/Kate Ryan)

Sattler conceded the Virginia Tech team had a very sophisticated center console.

Describing the Penn State vehicle’s display, Sattler said: “We did add a few gauges and displays. We added an eco-meter” so you could see how energy efficient your trip actually is.

Sattler says while displays are important to drivers, the Penn State team wanted to make sure that didn’t interfere with safety.

“Ours is a fairly small screen,” Sattler said. “We put the

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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