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Fitting Fairfax into Washington’s Olympic plans

By WTOP Staff

GMU's Patriot Center/File photoAs the Washington 2024 group gets organized to make its bid for the 2024 Summer Olympics, Fairfax County may be a viable location for many Olympic venues, training centers and athlete and press housing.

The nonprofit Washington 2024 unveiled a new website and a VIP-heavy board of directors earlier this month as it seeks to be the United States Olympic Committee’s American entry for the games. Other cities in the running for 2024 are Boston, San Francisco and Los Angeles.

The USOC will choose its nominee for consideration by the International Olympic Committee in 2017. The last Summer Games in the United States were in Atlanta in 1996. The Winter Games were held in Salt Lake City in 2002.

Fairfax County Supervisor Chair Sharon Bulova says that Olympic events in the region “could be a galvanizing event,” but there have been no formal talks with county officials.

“Our board has not passed a resolution [to get involved], but if someone made a motion, it would probably pass easily,” she said. “The idea is great.”

Fairfax County will get an Olympic-style test next summer, when the 2015 World Police and Fire Games will take place here. More than 12,000 law enforcement athletes, as well as families and spectators, are expected here, says Fairfax 2015 President and CEO Bill Knight. Athletes will compete in 61 sports at 53 Fairfax venues.

Russ Ramsey, Chair and CEO of Washington 2024, is on the Honorary Board of Fairfax 2015.

Knight points out that the police games actually have more athletes and more events than the Summer Olympics. One big difference between the two is the police and fire games use existing infrastructure, while Olympics tend to build new facilities, he said.

George Mason University’s Patriot Center, as well as other campus facilities, will host Fairfax 2015 events.

“George Mason has some beautiful facilities,” said Knight, who managed the events that took place at University of Georgia in Athens as part of the Atlanta ’96.

“For an event like this, it is not just about competition venues, it is training venues and spectators too,” said Knight. “It takes the entire region to support the Games.”

Meanwhile, Washington 2024 has had meetings with Loudoun officials about holding equestrian events at Morven Park in Leesburg, the Washington Business Journal reported this week. The committee has also looked at potential rowing and aquatics sites in Loudoun.

Bulova adds that Metro’s Silver Line would be an added bonus for Washington 2024′s bid. The rail line is expected to be completed by 2018, finally connecting Washington Dulles Airport with Washington, D.C. and the rest of the region.

“Visitors [by 2024] will be directly served by three airports — Dulles, Reagan National and BWI,” said Bulova. “The entire region would benefit.”

Photo: George Mason’s Patriot Center/File photo

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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