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Mississippi seeks new ruling on abortion law

By WTOP Staff

EMILY WAGSTER PETTUS
Associated Press

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Mississippi is asking a federal appeals court to uphold a 2012 state law requiring abortion clinic doctors to obtain hospital admitting privileges.

In late July, a panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled 2-1 that the law is unconstitutional because it would close Mississippi’s only abortion clinic.

Democratic Attorney General Jim Hood filed papers Wednesday asking the full court to reverse the three-judge panel’s ruling and allow Mississippi to enforce the law.

It was not immediately clear when the full court would consider the request.

The abortion clinic, Jackson Women’s Health Organization, uses out-of-state physicians who travel to Mississippi several times a month. They applied for admitting privileges at Jackson-area hospitals, but clinic owner Diane Derzis said they did not receive responses. Many hospitals, including some with religious affiliation, ignore or reject applications from abortion clinic doctors and won’t grant privileges to out-of-state physicians.

The U.S. Supreme Court established a constitutional right to abortion in its 1973 Roe v. Wade decision. On July 29, the 5th Circuit panel ruled that Mississippi may not shift its obligation for established constitutional rights of its citizens to another state.

The Jackson clinic remains open, and for years it has had an agreement with a local physician who will meet a patient at a Jackson hospital in case of complications. Derzis has said such complications are rare.

Republican Gov. Phil Bryant has said he wants to end abortion in Mississippi and he wants to go to the U.S. Supreme Court, if necessary, to try to uphold the admitting privileges law. He and other supporters say the law would protect women’s health by ensuring that a physician who performs an abortion in a clinic would also be able to treat the patient in a hospital in case of complications.

Opponents say the requirement is unnecessary, since patients in distress are automatically treated in emergency rooms, and that it gives religious-affiliated hospitals veto power over who can work in an abortion clinic and, by extension, whether a clinic can stay in business.

Ten other states have similar admitting privileges laws that have forced a growing number of clinics to close.

The 5th Circuit handles cases from Mississippi, Texas and Louisiana and is one of the most conservative federal appeals courts.

In asking all 15 judges on the 5th Circuit to reconsider the Mississippi case, Hood wrote Wednesday that a different group of 5th Circuit judges earlier this year allowed a Texas admitting privileges law to take effect.

Texas, the second-largest state in the nation, has 18 remaining abortion clinics, but more than 20 have closed since enactment of the 2013 law that includes the admitting privileges requirement.

Hood wrote that under 5th Circuit panels’ rulings in the Mississippi and Texas cases, “traveling 25 miles from Hernando, Mississippi, to a clinic in Memphis, Tennessee, is an undue burden, but a 150-mile trip from McAllen, Texas, to Corpus Christi is not. This result is not only counterintuitive, but also flatly contradicts the reality that the majority of women in Mississippi already travel to other states to obtain abortions.”

Hood’s filing did not provide statistics to back up the assertion that most Mississippi women who have an abortion go out of state for the procedure.

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Follow Emily Wagster Pettus on Twitter: http://twitter.com/EWagsterPettus

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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