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Green family, Hobby Lobby, connected for 40 years

By WTOP Staff

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Monday’s Supreme Court ruling that the Hobby Lobby crafts store chain does not have to provide all forms of birth control marks the first time the high court has said some businesses can hold religious views under federal law, in cases where there is essentially no difference between the business and its owners. Here’s a look at Hobby Lobby’s owners, the Green family of Oklahoma City.

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A FAMILY AFFAIR: David Green in 1972 expanded a picture frame company started two years earlier and named the new business Hobby Lobby. Green is the privately held company’s chief executive officer and his son, Steve, is its president. In 1981, another son, Mart, founded the Mardel bookstore chain, which concentrates on religious material. Mardel also was a part of the lawsuit decided Monday.

Hobby Lobby and Mardel include mission statements on their corporate websites outlining a dedication to Christian principles.

Hobby Lobby says it aims to honor the Lord by following biblical principles; establish a work environment that builds character, strengthens individuals and nurtures families and provides a return on its owner’s investment so he can share the Lord’s blessings with its 13,000 employees. Mardel was established “for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ,” quoting St. Paul’s letter to the Ephesians.

No Hobby Lobby store is open on Sunday “in order to allow our employees and customers more time for worship and family.”

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A NATION IN DANGER: Steve Green is a driving force behind the proposed Museum of the Bible and the Green Scholars Initiative, which intend to place a Bible-based academic curriculum with the nation’s public schools.

“This nation is in danger because of its ignorance of what God has taught,” Steve Green told the National Bible Association last year. “There are lessons from the past that we can learn from, the dangers of ignorance of this book. We need to know it, and if we don’t know it, our future is going to be very scary.”

Green, a member of the Council Road Baptist Church in Bethany, Oklahoma, has succeeded in convincing the Mustang, Oklahoma, school board to offer the curriculum as an elective this fall. Course work will include how biblical principals have influenced art and academic subjects, but a draft copy of the textbook also details the consequences people face if they disobey God.

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NOT ALL BIRTH CONTROL IS EQUAL: The Green family’s challenge to the Affordable Care Act centered only on certain types of contraception. Its lawsuit said the family’s religious beliefs “forbid them from participating in, providing access to, paying for, training others to engage in, or otherwise supporting abortion-causing drugs and devices.”

In medical terms, pregnancy begins when a fertilized egg attaches itself to the wall of the uterus, but anti-abortion groups say any action taken to prevent implantation is the equivalent of an abortion. One effect of the morning-after pill is to chemically alter the uterine lining to prevent implantation; an intrauterine device blocks implantation through mechanical means.

The Green family says it has no moral objection to other contraceptives.

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THE COST OF LOSING: The Green family had argued the federal health law required a choice between violating God’s law or the nation’s laws.

“We simply cannot abandon our religious beliefs to comply with this mandate,” David Green said in 2012.

The company had calculated last summer that it would have had to pay $475 million in fines annually for failing to comply with the nation’s health care law (a $100 fine per day for each of its 13,000 workers) or pay $26 million to the government if it dropped its health care plan altogether.

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WINNING WORDS: “Our family is overjoyed by the Supreme Court’s decision. Today the nation’s highest court has re-affirmed the vital importance of religious liberty as one of our country’s founding principles. The Court’s decision is a victory, not just for our family business, but for all who seek to live out their faith. We are grateful to God and to those who have supported us on this difficult journey.” — Barbara Green, co-founder of Hobby Lobby.

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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