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Navajo high court weighs case on language fluency

By WTOP Staff

TUBA CITY, Ariz. (AP) — The decision about whether Navajo Nation presidential candidate Chris Deschene speaks Navajo fluently enough to be on the ballot is headed back to a lower tribal court after a Navajo Nation Supreme court ruling Friday.

The tribe’s high court found the Office of Hearings and Appeals shouldn’t have dismissed a case against Deschene, and it reinstated grievances filed against him.

The Office of Hearings and Appeals dismissed the case earlier this month, saying the complaints weren’t filed within a 10-day time frame and the plaintiffs did not have the legal authority to file them. Now, the lower court must hold a hearing next week to determine whether to disqualify Deschene from the November ballot.

The plaintiffs’ attorneys say Deschene lied about being able to effectively communicate in Navajo when he entered the race to preside over the nation’s largest American Indian reservation. Tribal law requires that the president speak the Navajo language fluently.

Deschene said fluency is a matter of opinion, and his language skills are progressing.

“They rejected any notion that ‘fluency’ is too ambiguous,” said David Jordan, an attorney representing Dale Tsosie, one of the people who filed the complaint.

Lambert Benally, Deschene’s campaign manager, did not immediately return a call seeking comment Friday afternoon.

Deschene is set to face former Navajo President Joe Shirley Jr.

Navajo election officials, meanwhile, are trying to figure out how to proceed. Kimmeth Yazzie, of the Navajo Election Administration, said ballots were supposed to begin printing Thursday in order to meet an Oct. 6 mailing deadline for absentee voters.

“I told the printer: ‘Just keep your fingers off that print button for now,’ ” Yazzie said.

Yazzie plans to spend the weekend thinking of different scenarios his office may have to carry out, depending on what the Office of Hearings and Appeals decides. “The first option is not to postpone the election. But if worse comes to worse, we got to have a plan for it,” Yazzie said.

The fluency issue came to a head only recently when several Navajo citizens and presidential candidates filed grievances against Deschene, saying he shouldn’t appear on the presidential ballot. The challenges were dismissed as untimely or lacking legal standing. The rulings were appealed to the tribe’s Supreme Court.

The grievances filed against Deschene were the first over the language requirements, said Richie Nez, chief hearing officer for the Office of Hearings and Appeals.

Other presidential candidates have been challenged on term limits and residency, though living or having a continual presence on the reservation is no longer required.

The Navajo language is a vital part of the tribe’s culture, most commonly spoken among elderly Navajo people as their first language and less so among younger generations.

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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