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Olympic sports on board for US 2024 bid

By WTOP Staff

EDDIE PELLS
AP National Writer

CHICAGO (AP) — The U.S. Olympic Committee received near-unanimous support from the country’s sports federations in a poll asking whether they would support a bid for the 2024 Olympics — another sign that a U.S. city will make a run at hosting the next available Summer Games.

In his annual address Friday to the USOC Assembly, CEO Scott Blackmun said 40 of the 47 national governing bodies took part in the poll and all 40 answered positively to the question: “Is it important for the United States to host the Games?”

The USOC is in the final stages of deciding whether to put a city up for consideration. Boston, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Washington are the candidates.

Blackmun said at the next assembly, a year from now, “hopefully we’ll be in the final stages of submitting a bid.”

The U.S. last hosted the Summer Games in Atlanta in 1996. The 2016 Olympics are scheduled for Rio de Janerio and the 2020 Games were recently awarded to Tokyo.

The NGBs also answered with an overwhelming “No” to the question of whether a bid takes the USOC’s focus off its main mission, which is supporting athletes.

Having the sports federations on board is no small thing. Five years ago, when Chicago was bidding for the 2016 Games, the NGBs were in open rebellion against the newly appointed CEO, Stephanie Streeter. It was the USOC’s dysfunction, both domestically and internationally, that voters and observers blamed for Chicago’s last-place finish.

Since Blackmun replaced Streeter and chairman Larry Probst replaced Peter Ueberroth, the USOC has smoothed relations with the IOC — becoming more active in international events and also, importantly, ironing out details of a new revenue-sharing agreement. Probst was elected to the IOC last year.

“It’s an old-boy network, but you have to be part of the network to change the game,” said Tiger Shaw, who recently replaced Bill Marolt as CEO of the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association. “You can’t just lob bombs in. It antagonizes relationships. There’s a double-edged sword here. Being part of the crowd and instituting change from within, we feel that’s important.”

The USOC board heard from Pat Ryan, the chairman of the Chicago 2016 bid, who offered advice to the next potential candidate.

“He strongly encouraged us to move forward with a bid if there was an environment in which we could win,” Blackmun said.

Before making a final decision, the USOC is waiting to see results of the IOC’s “Agenda 2020,” which could change the selection process. Any changes will be finalized in December.

Barring something drastic, though, the USOC appears primed for a bid.

“There’s a whole generation of Americans who haven’t seen the Olympic Games on American soil, and that’s very, very important to us,” Blackmun said.

Rich Bender, the executive director of USA Wrestling, said an Olympics in the United States provides a lift for all the sports, and that even the bid process adds energy to the movement.

“I’m cautiously optimistic that we have a chance,” Bender said. “A lot of work needs to be done. Of course, there are no sure things in sports, particularly with the IOC.”

AROUND THE RINGS: Probst left to be with his ailing father and was not at Friday’s meetings. … USOC general counsel Rana Dershowitz is leaving to take the same post with Aspen Skiing Company. … Chief of sport performance Alan Ashley: “We’re not getting as many Olympians and Paralympians on the podium as we used to. It’s a trend we need to change.” Asked about that, Blackmun said it means the USOC has tough choices ahead as it tries to allocate dollars to NGBs with the most potential for Olympic medals. … Blackmun said he’s not completely confident about finding the final $5 million of funding needed to start an independent agency to investigate sex abuse in Olympic sports. The USOC and NGBs are in for around $5 million each, but the USOC is looking for philanthropists and sponsors to pay for the final part.

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Follow Eddie Pells on Twitter at www.twitter.com/epells

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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