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Fairbanks spent $7k defending mayor’s $37.50 fine

By WTOP Staff

FAIRBANKS, Alaska (AP) — The city of Fairbanks, Alaska, has so far spent about $7,000 appealing a $37.50 election-law fine leveled on the mayor.

The Alaska Public Offices Commission ordered City Mayor John Eberhart to pay the $37.50 fine in May after concluding he broke a state law in the October 2013 election by sending an email on his city council email account, The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner reports (http://bit.ly/1lDh9On ).

In that email, Eberhart, then a city council member, asked city staff to research resolutions and ordinances sponsored by Eberhart and his mayoral opponent Vivian Stiver. In the eyes of the commission, the records request equaled an illegal use of municipal resources to influence an election.

Fairbanks has paid about $7,000 during appeals, city attorney Paul Ewers said. The funding comes out of the city’s claims budget. The Fairbanks City Council held a closed-door executive session about the city’s appeal strategy earlier this month.

The city government is paying for Eberhart’s appeal costs because it’s obligated, in most cases, to defend public officials who are sued as part of their official duties under the city’s indemnification law, the newspaper reported.

Eberhart’s attorney, Michael Walleri, accuses the elections body of overstepping its power. The ruling sets a precedent that would broadly paint legitimate information requests as illegal electioneering, he told the newspaper on Friday.

“This has huge ramifications. … the (Alaska) Municipal League has been talking about this,” he said. “Any information that is received legitimately by an elected official cannot be used in an election campaign.”

In its order, the elections commission said Eberhart’s records request related to his role as a candidate and not as a city councilman because he requested only information about himself and Stiver and because he later used the research at a mayoral debate.

Walleri said Eberhart asked for the information as a councilman, to defend himself from a member of the public had been coming to city council meetings and attacking him about his record.

The city is not paying Eberhart’s legal bills in his other October 2013 election appeal, which does not relate to his city council service.

In that case, the elections commission concluded the Eberhart campaign’s occasional use of a work phone and copy machine at the Tanana Chiefs Conference office amounted to an illegal corporate “in kind” contribution to his campaign worth $384.

The commission fined him $2,884 in that case. The fine also covered a $500 check Eberhart accepted and later returned from the Cafe de Paris Catering Company. The check wasn’t considered a legal campaign contribution because it came from a corporation instead of an individual.

In the election, Eberhart beat Stiver, a commercial property owner and former councilwoman, by 1,502 votes to 1,396 votes.

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Information from: Fairbanks (Alaska) Daily News-Miner, http://www.newsminer.com

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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