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9 cheap things to do with family on fall weekends

By WTOP Staff

Now that Labor Day has passed and the school year is in full swing, the cool and colorful months of autumn are upon us. Until Thanksgiving break, most families only have the weekend to spend some quality family time together. Here are nine ideas for things to do with your family on a crisp autumn weekend that won’t chill your wallet.

Spend a weekend at a local university. Even if you don’t have a child in college, the traditional family weekend at a local university can be well worth taking advantage of. Most universities host a weekend when they invite parents and alumni to campus to tour the facilities, enjoy free food, attend a sporting event and take part in special programs. These are usually open to the public and can offer an enjoyable family weekend. Plus, if you have teens in high school, it’s a chance to scout out colleges they may be interested in applying to.

Take a fall hike to see the colors. Once the leaves start to turn colors, t ake a hike and check out the beauty of the fall hues. The crisp autumn air, the colorful foliage and the crunch of the leaves under your feet give fall hikes a special feel that isn’t matched at any other time of the year. Take along a backpack, and gather colorful leaves, pine cones and other interesting items — they might be useful for some other ideas below.

Make your own Halloween costumes. If you have young children, Halloween trick-or-treating in costume is a big fall experience. Usually, people buy a costume at the store, but why not spend a weekend designing a costume, and create it together? This will save you from shelling out upward of $50 for a store- bought witch outfit or Batman suit and provides a fun, and relatively easy, home crafting project that you can do with your kids.

Create handmade autumn decorations for your home. If you went on that fall hike and collected a bunch of beautiful leaves, pine cones and other items, you’ve got all you need to make some great home decorations. Fill up a bowl with pine cones, string the leaves together to make a table decoration or attach some of the leaves to windows to add an autumn theme to your home.

Go apple picking and make something delicious with the apples. Spend part of a day together picking apples at a local orchard. Then take all those apples home, and use them to make something tasty, such as apple cobbler, apple pie or apple cider — or all three. Chop them up in oatmeal or purée them into applesauce. There are endless options here, and they can be used in delicious recipes for the rest of the fall and beyond (if you freeze them).

Make pine cone bird feeders. If you picked up plenty of pine cones on your nature walk, you can easily turn them into pine cone bird feeders, which is a great project for younger children. All you need are pine cones, bird feed, string and peanut butter. You just tie a string on the top of the pine cone, then smear the peanut butter on the pine cone and roll them in the bird seed. Hang them in various places outside your home, then watch and see what birds stop for a snack.

Rake leaves — and then jump in the pile. If you have a yard that gets covered in leaves, raking them up doesn’t have to be drudgery. Get the kids involved. Have everyone make giant leaf piles, then jump on them. When you need to actually get rid of the leaves, bag them together — or figure out other ways to use them.

Pick and carve pumpkins. Turning a pumpkin into a jack-o-lantern is an autumn tradition. Opening the top of a pumpkin, scooping out the insides, carving a face on the front and putting a candle or a small light inside is something most of us did as children and something to pass along to your own children. You can make a full day out of the process of picking pumpkins, cleaning them out and carving faces or designs. If you lack art skills, you can find carving templates online .

Build a haunted yard for Halloween. Some spooky spider webs and a tombstone or two in the front yard can add a festive touch to your lawn during the Halloween season. You can turn cardboard boxes into tombstones (replete with humorous names for the pretend deceased) and old bed sheets into ghosts to hang on trees. Get creative, and see what ideas your kids come up with.

Autumn weekends provide a great opportunity for family projects and healthy activities. Remember, no matter what you choose to do, the real benefit is the time spent together.

More from U.S. News

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8 Resources for Finding Free Things to Do in Your Area

9 Cheap Things to Do With Family on Fall Weekends originally appeared on usnews.com

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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