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B-CC To Remember Van Grack At Friday’s Game

By WTOP Staff

Jeff Van Grack ,photo via Lerch, Early & BrewerFriends and family members of the late Jeff Van Grack will be at Friday’s Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School football home opener to help honor the man and raise awareness about the disease that took his life.

Van Grack, who died last month of bladder cancer at the age of 60, led Lerch, Early & Brewer’s Community Association law practice. But his true passion was coaching football, which he did for many years around Montgomery County.

Coworkers at the Bethesda law firm knew it was football season when Van Grack would begin showing up to the office at 5 a.m. He was getting work in before heading off in the early afternoon to coach special teams at Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School, where he and coach Josh Singer also established an offseason leadership seminar for players.

“Jeff was a great coach and a better man,” Singer said this week. “Jeff’s message to the players was you don’t have to do something special to be a leader. Anyone can develop those skills and he treated everybody on the team, from the guys who might not play as much to the two-year starters, the same way.”

Together with the Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network, the B-CC football team will host the Battling Barons Conquering Bladder Cancer event on Friday, during the team’s game against rival Whitman.

Van Grack’s son Alan will speak at halftime. The event is open to the public, and tickets are $5. Kickoff is at 6:30 p.m.

Van Grack created a partnership between the football program, his law firm and the Advocacy Network, which happens to be located on St Elmo Avenue. He also served on BCAN’s Leadership Council, helping to increase awareness and raise money for educational programs and services. Bladder cancer is the sixth most commonly diagnosed cancer in the U.S.

“Jeff’s commitment to serve on the BCAN Leadership Council was a true demonstration of his passion and dedication to support bladder cancer awareness,” said BCAN President Diane Zipursky Quale. “It is our hope that with this BCAN Awareness Night, we will honor Jeff’s vision and courage by spreading awareness within the Bethesda, and surrounding community.”

Photo via Lerch, Early & Brewer

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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