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World Cup’s opening match mesmerizes Brazilians

By WTOP Staff

JOSHUA GOODMAN
Associated Press

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — They watched at remote cattle ranches on the edge of the Amazon. Thousands gathered before a giant screen on sun-drenched Copacabana beach In Rio. In hole-in-the-wall bars in hillside slums, haughty high society clubs and family living rooms across the country, all eyes were trained on TV sets as the World Cup began Thursday in Brazil.

Not even protests outside the stadium in Sao Paulo where Brazil defeated Croatia 3-1 could dampen Brazilians’ enthusiasm for the national team, which is chasing a sixth championship.

It started on a nervous note for the home crowd, though.

At Rio de Janeiro’s Jockey Club, where the moneyed elite watched the game on giant screens while sipping on wine underneath the gaze of the iconic Christ the Redeemer statue, the crowd let out a collective screech when Brazil’s Marcelo scored an own goal, giving Croatia an early 1-0 lead.

But anguish turned to delight minutes later when superstar striker Neymar slipped a ball past a diving Croatian goalkeeper to even the score.

“This is what always happens with Brazil,” said Eduardo Almeida, a consultant who paid $55 entrance fee at the club. “We’re nervous and screw things up at first, but then we get loose and confident and we kick butt.”

At the other end of Brazil’s highly stratified income ladder, in the Santa Marta slum, a group of mostly black residents sent beers flying and jumped in place ecstatically after the tying goal.

The loudest celebration, aside from the 61,000 fans at Itaquerao stadium in Sao Paulo, could be heard on Copacabana beach. There, fans dressed mostly in the yellow and green of Brazil’s flag began lining up around breakfast time, eight hours before kickoff, for the chance to watch the game on an imposing 150-square-meter (1,615-square-foot) television screen.

The FIFA Fan Fest at Copacabana got started early, with Brazilians having a good laugh watching their newfound foreign friends try out samba steps and shake their rear ends to the gyrating, lustful rhythms of Rio’s trademark funk music. As night fell after the game, and a bright full moon rose from the sea, hundreds more who couldn’t find a spot on the sand crowded onto Copacabana’s black and white stone mosaic sidewalk.

Amid the sea of patriotic colors, a single Croatian fan stood out in his nation’s checkered red and white jersey. Ivan Lucic, from Drubovnic, said in broken English that attending the World Cup in Brazil was a dream come true. “The Brazilians are wonderful,” he said while posing for friendly photos with people in the crowd.

As the beach party hit full swing, several dozen activists marched just beyond the security perimeter carrying signs proclaiming “There will be no Cup.” It was the latest protest over the billions spent on stadiums — money that activists say would have been better spent on schools and hospitals.

Inside the Fan Fest, except for loud jeers whenever Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff and FIFA boss Sepp Blatter appeared on screen, concerns about wasteful spending were put aside as soon as Brazil’s team walked on the field and the national anthem was played.

“Brazil may never be allowed to host the World Cup again, but I assure you we’ll win plenty more trophies,” said Jenifer Barbosa, a nurse who summed up the deep ambivalence many Brazilians feel about hosting the tournament, but not the national team.

Not everyone is so optimistic about Brazil’s chances in the World Cup.

On a cattle ranch near Cuiaba, the heart of the country’s expanding agricultural frontier, cowboy Joao Paulo Silva said the team has room to improve.

“Brazil is playing pretty well but it’s going to take quite a lot for us to make it to the finals,” he said after watching the game’s first half a black and white TV set, then got back to work milking the cows one last time before dark.

___

Associated Press writers Adriana Gomez Licon in Sao Paulo, Yesica Fisch in Rio de Janeiro, Andy Drake in Cuiaba and Chris Gillette in Manaus contributed to this report.

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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