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From campaign driver to a top aide on Obama break

By WTOP Staff

NEDRA PICKLER
Associated Press

EDGARTOWN, Mass. (AP) — One of President Barack Obama’s top-ranking advisers on his vacation is a former political operative who drove the candidate around Illinois during his Senate campaign a decade ago and then served as personal secretary in the White House.

Now, as the president’s deputy chief of staff, Anita Decker Breckenridge is responsible for a high-pressure operation that’s a far cry from the early journeys she and Obama shared.

Breckenridge has known Obama since 2003. She was a former aide to Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich. He was a state senator from Chicago running for the U.S. Senate.

She helped introduce him to downstate voters. Breckenridge and Obama crisscrossed the state in her sedan, getting to know each other while passing rows of corn, arguing over the radio station and keeping their eyes peeled for a Subway lunch.

“We would stop in all these small towns and we would have all these little gatherings,” Breckenridge recalled.

This month, Obama and Breckenridge came to Martha’s Vineyard, the president’s vacation spot, riding face to face in a convoy of helicopters.

It has been no vacation for her.

Breckenridge has coordinated with the Secret Service for coverage at Obama’s rented home, on the golf course or wherever else he decides to unwind. Between Obama family outings to the beach and the president’s dinner dates with the first lady, she works into his schedule staff briefings and calls with foreign leaders.

She decides when to interrupt his leisure with updates on emerging problems, such as the airstrikes in Iraq and the unrest in Missouri.

When Hillary Rodham Clinton wanted to smooth over critical comments she had made about Obama’s foreign policy, the former secretary of state emailed Breckenridge to set up a call.

Back in Washington, the 36-year-old is responsible for presidential staff and political appointments, Obama’s schedule, the advance work of setting up any of his movements and the general nuts and bolts of how Obama’s White House functions.

“His day is organized by Anita, so she’s making sure he’s seeing people he wants to see,” said senior Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett. “She has a thousand balls up in the air at one time. It takes an extraordinarily high level of skill, but it also takes a good sense of him and what’s important to him.”

Obama chose Breckenridge as deputy chief of staff for operations when longtime aide Alyssa Mastromonaco left last spring.

In some ways, Breckenridge was an unusual pick for a post with such an expansive portfolio. She was viewed as a friendly and efficient gateway to Obama outside the Oval Office but not as an aggressive operator. Also, she wasn’t well known outside the West Wing.

Breckenridge had management experience as chief of staff of the National Endowment for the Arts in Obama’s first term and ran his downstate offices in Illinois when he was senator. But her chief qualification for the new post was her close relationship with the president.

She’s proved to be fiercely protective of his personal needs and quick to turn away those she feels are trying to demand too much of him. Her position requires her to channel his wishes as she makes a lot of rapid-fire decisions on his behalf.

“It’s hard for me to come up with anyone else the president trusts so implicitly,” Mastromonaco said. “They have known each other for so long, their relationship is homegrown. Anita understands everything he needs and wants to know.”

Breckenridge, a native of the Chicago suburb of Kenilworth, also provides familiarity to Obama at a time when many of his most trusted aides are leaving. She’s Obama’s link to a humbler time when he grows weary of the White House trappings.

“There’s something very comforting about remembering those simpler times where you got to interact more with people,” Breckenridge said. “Now every day is a thrill and the opportunity of a lifetime. I’ll probably look back after we leave and long for these days.”

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Follow Nedra Pickler at http://twitter.com/nedrapickler

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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