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Obama interrupting summer vacation with trip to DC

By WTOP Staff

JULIE PACE
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama is doing something unusual with his summer vacation on Martha’s Vineyard: He’ll come back to Washington midway through the getaway to attend White House meetings.

It’s an odd move, especially since Obama and his aides for years have fended off questions about the timing of his vacations by arguing that he is president at all times and can do the job wherever he is.

Obama planned to go ahead with the vacation even after the first of the military airstrikes he authorized in northern Iraq were carried out Friday.

He is scheduled to arrive on the wealthy island off the Massachusetts coast on Saturday and return to Washington a week later, on Sunday, Aug. 17. After the meetings, plans call for Obama to return to the Vineyard on Aug. 19 to resume the vacation, which ends five days later on Aug. 24.

Spokesman Josh Earnest said Obama would meet with staff, but he declined to say who else would participate or what the meetings are about.

“This is an opportunity for the president to do some in-person meetings here at the White House, just for a day or two, before he returns to Martha’s Vineyard,” Earnest said Thursday.

Earnest sought to contain mounting speculation about the vacation, saying the meetings aren’t related to “an emerging situation.”

Still, there are many brewing issues that could require Obama’s urgent attention, including fighting between Israel and Hamas militants, Russia’s buildup of troops along its border with Ukraine and the situation in Iraq, where a radical Islamist group seeks to tighten its grip on Iraq’s north.

Even so, crises rarely have forced Obama to cancel a vacation. His advisers often appear to take pride in resisting calls from Republicans for the president to return to Washington or from fellow Democrats nervous about the appearance of Obama either vacationing or tending to what some may consider less urgent matters.

“He travels with an array of communications equipment and national security advisers that will allow him to perform all of the functions that are required of America’s commander in chief,” Earnest said. “That’s true of any trip that he takes, and it will be true of the trip that the president takes this week.”

In 2009, Obama remained on vacation in his native of Hawaii after a man aboard a Detroit-bound flight tried to detonate a bomb on Christmas. Obama also pressed on with Martha’s Vineyard vacations in 2010 as rebels in Libya were on the verge of ousting their government, and last year when Egypt’s military overthrew the country’s first democratically elected leader.

Just last month, Obama resisted calls while on a fundraising trip in Texas to visit the U.S.-Mexico border to witness the surge of unaccompanied children arriving there.

Pressed about the appearance of ignoring a humanitarian crisis, Earnest declared at the time: “We’re not worried about those optics.”

Obama has upended his travel plans on several occasions. He has canceled three trips to Asia, including one in 2013 because of the U.S. government shutdown. His late-December departures to spend Christmas in Hawaii frequently have been delayed because of late action on Capitol Hill. In 2012, he returned to Washington from a Hawaiian vacation to deal with “fiscal cliff” negotiations.

Obama’s public appearances while on vacation typically are limited to stops at local merchants and dinner out with family and friends. But in another unusual twist this summer, the president plans to attend a Democratic fundraiser on Martha’s Vineyard on Monday.

The Obamas stay in Chilmark, on the western part of the island, and have rented a seven-bedroom, 8,100-square-foot house along the island’s Vineyard Sound side, far off any main roads.

Obama has vacationed on the quaint island every summer of his presidency except during the 2012 re-election campaign.

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Philip Marcelo in Oak Bluffs, Massachusetts, contributed to this report.

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Follow Julie Pace at http://twitter.com/jpaceDC and Darlene Superville at http://www.twitter.com/dsupervilleap

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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