Skip to main content

Rich Madaleno: Why You Should Vote For Me

By WTOP Staff

Rich Madaleno, via Wikipedia user Edward KimmelWe asked local candidates in contested primary elections to write a sub-750 word essay describing why residents should vote for them on June 24.

Next is District 18 State Senate candidate Rich Madaleno, who is running in the Democratic primary. Below is Madaleno’s unedited response:

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

It has been my honor to represent this community in the State Senate for the past eight years. During that time, I have risen in the ranks of the Senate to serve as chairman of the budget subcommittee on education and business. In just my first term, I was elected by my county colleagues to serve as chairman of the county’s eight-member Senate delegation.

I have always called this community my home, having grown up in Silver Spring. I am now raising my children in Kensington with my husband, Mark. I know the value of our good public schools first hand as a former student and now as a parent. My family and this community made sure I had the foundation to succeed in life. I am committed to ensuring future generations have the same opportunity I did.

As your Senator, I have pushed hard to advance the progressive principles we value. Over the past four years, I have led successful efforts to support the nation’s best public school system, improve access to and affordability of our public colleges and universities, increase the minimum wage, provide gay and lesbian couples the freedom to marry, protect a woman’s right to chose, eliminate the death penalty, enact the nation’s most stringent firearm safety law, expand renewable energy production, reduce polluted runoff, expand small business development programs, and create a fair and stable tax system.

My priorities for the next term are improving education, fixing our infrastructure, and crafting a balanced fiscal plan for our state.

In order to thrive in a challenging economy, our young people will need to be creative, collaborative, strong communicators, and critical thinkers. We need to work to build an education system from early childhood to graduate school that imparts these skills. To make this a reality, we will need to invest in quality educators and provide them with the on-going professional development necessary to meet this challenge.

Rebuilding and repairing our aging infrastructure to meet the needs of a 21st Century economy and the demands of today’s residents including improved and expanded school facilities to address our school system’s growing enrollment. I fought hard to pass the state’s landmark transportation funding plan and will get a greatly enhanced state investment in our over-crowded schools next year.

In representing you, I have always tried to let common sense guide my decision-making. I have looked for practical solutions to our problems. I believe in a politics that builds individuals and communities up. I reject tea party politics that submit every elected official to a purity test. I oppose political tactics that tear people down and drive us apart. I know compromise is the only way to make our democracy work. It may not be a satisfying as rhetoric, but it is essential to governing for long-term progress.

I ask for your vote once again and pledge to you that I will continue to work to improve our community and to vigorously advance our shared progressive values.

Sincerely,

Richard S. Madaleno, Jr.

Senator, District 18

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
Read Next Story

Related News

Frustration grows in Venezuela as earthquake death toll reaches 1,430

Israel and Lebanon sign framework agreement with US in ‘first step’ toward peace, Rubio says

Trump-endorsed populist poised to become Colombia’s next president as rival challenges vote