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TS Bertha aims for Dominican Republic

By WTOP Staff

DANICA COTO
Associated Press

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Tropical Storm Bertha swirled over the eastern Dominican Republic late Saturday after whipping Puerto Rico with heavy rains and strong winds that knocked out power in parts of the region.

The storm’s maximum sustained winds dropped slightly to 45 mph (75 kph), but slow strengthening was expected by Monday. Bertha was centered about 60 miles (95 kilometers) east-northeast of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic and was moving west-northwest at 22 mph (35 kph) Saturday evening.

The director of the Dominican Republic’s Emergency Operations Center, Juan Manuel Mendez, said that rain was falling on parts of the country but there were no reports of damage so far.

Officials were asking hotels and resorts in Punta Cana to cancel any planned water sports or activities and have prohibited tourist and fishing boats from taking to the water on the country’s east coast.

“Our obligation is to make sure that no person, national or foreign, experience problems” because of the storm, said Mendez.

Earlier Saturday, the storm passed just southwest of Puerto Rico, dropping between 3 to 5 inches (8-13 centimeters) of rain, with isolated amounts of up to 8 inches (20 centimeters).

Gov. Alejandro Garcia Padilla warned of flooding, landslides and swollen rivers, which he urged people not to try and cross.

“It’s something that sounds obvious but it happens so often,” he said. “It’s not the time to take risks.”

Authorities reported several downed trees in Puerto Rico’s eastern region and two downed electrical posts. Nearly 39,000 households were without power and more than 3,000 without water. The lights also had gone out at the island’s emergency management agency during a press conference Saturday morning.

Officials said most of the power outages occurred in the island’s central mountainous region following more than 1,200 lightning strikes that occurred in the area during afternoon hours alone.

The heaviest rains fell in the island’s southern and eastern regions, with authorities warning people to stay indoors.

Jose Colon Rivera, 50, who lives in a rural area near the southern town of Cayey, said in a phone interview that he could hear the wind whistling loudly through his zinc roof.

“If anything happens, I can always run,” said Colon, who was watching wrestling on TV as he waited for the storm to pass.

Some 220 people arrived at several government shelters in Puerto Rico’s southeast region, the majority of them international athletes participating in a youth baseball tournament.

Ingrid Vila, gubernatorial chief of staff, said Puerto Rico’s main international airport remained open but that several flights had been cancelled.

Authorities closed El Yunque rainforest, a popular tourist attraction in northeast Puerto Rico, and ferry rides to the neighboring islands of Culebra and Vieques were cancelled.

Downed trees limbs also were reported across St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands, where a coastal buoy south of St. Thomas recorded wind gusts of 72 mph (115 kph).

Tropical storm warnings were in effect for the southeastern Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos islands. A tropical storm watch was in effect for central Bahamas.

On Friday, Bertha passed just north of the French Caribbean island of Martinique, where it left 150,000 homes without power, government spokeswoman Audrey Hamann said in a phone interview. The storm also left hundreds of people without power along Dominica’s eastern region.

Antigua-based regional airline LIAT canceled several flights in Dominica, St. Lucia, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. Seaborne Airlines also canceled flights in Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, while the U.S. Coast Guard closed ports in southern Puerto Rico.

The storm brought some rain to a drought-hit area of southern Puerto Rico, but it was not yet known whether it rained enough to cancel strict water rationing measures that are scheduled to start on Wednesday, authorities said.

___

Associated Press writers Ezequiel Abiu Lopez in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, and Carlisle Jno Baptiste in Roseau, Dominica, 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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