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New mom Chelsea Clinton celebrates baby daughter

By WTOP Staff

KEN THOMAS
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton say they are “blessed, grateful, and so happy” to become grandparents.

Their daughter, Chelsea, gave birth Friday night to her first child, Charlotte.

Chelsea Clinton announced the news on Twitter and Facebook early Saturday, saying she and husband Marc Mezvinsky are “full of love, awe and gratitude as we celebrate the birth of our daughter, Charlotte Clinton Mezvinsky.”

The former president and first lady said in the statement on Saturday, “Chelsea is well and glowing. Marc is bursting with pride. Charlotte’s life is off to a good start.”

The baby was born at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, where the Mezvinskys live. No other details of her birth were released by the family.

The news comes as Hillary Clinton deliberates whether to run for the White House in 2016. She is the leading Democratic contender to succeed President Barack Obama, her 2008 campaign rival, and has said she expects to make a decision around the beginning of next year.

The baby has been eagerly anticipated. Hillary Clinton has called the prospect of becoming a grandmother her “most exciting title yet.” She even has picked out the first book she intends to read to her grandchild, the classic “Goodnight Moon.”

She has said she didn’t want to make any decisions about another campaign until the baby’s arrival, pointing to her interest in enjoying becoming a grandmother for the first time.

Bill Clinton canceled a fundraising visit Saturday to Denver for Democrats running for the Senate and governor, but he called in to an event for embattled Democratic Sen. Mark Udall to deliver his 11-minute speech by speakerphone.

“I hope I get an excused absence,” he told the crowd. “You all know my family just got a little bigger, and I figured I should stay home where I’m really needed.”

Clinton has been eager to become a grandfather. During an event with former President George W. Bush in September, Clinton’s cellphone rang on stage and he joked that only two people had the number “and they are related to me,” musing that he hoped he wasn’t becoming “a premature grandfather.”

“Every day I get up and I say, ‘You have to remember whose child this is. Do not interfere. Be there when you are welcome. Be loving but not judgmental,” Clinton said to laughs in an interview with CNN at his annual Clinton Global Initiative, only days before the baby’s arrival.

The 34-year-old Chelsea Clinton said in an interview with Glamour magazine last year that she and her husband had hoped to make 2014 “the year of the baby.” She announced her pregnancy in April at the end of a forum in New York on female empowerment.

“I just hope I will be as good a mom to my child and, hopefully, children as my mom was to me,” she said at the time.

Even in her late stage of pregnancy, the younger Clinton helped preside over the family’s annual conference last week, conducting interviews on stage and announcing efforts to promote community service and stop the killing of elephants and trafficking of ivory. An advocate for elephants, she warned her child “could grow up in a planet without elephants.”

Chelsea Clinton grew up in the public eye as a teenager in the White House, later graduating from Stanford and Columbia universities. She worked in finance in New York and in public health, earning a doctorate from Oxford University.

She serves as vice chair of her family’s foundation, which was renamed the Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation, and helps direct the organization’s humanitarian and philanthropic efforts around the globe. She recently departed NBC News, where she served as a special correspondent.

The new parents, who married in 2010, were friends as teenagers in Washington and both attended Stanford. Mezvinsky is a hedge fund manager and the son of former Reps. Majorie Margolies of Pennsylvania and Edward Mezvinsky of Iowa, longtime friends of the Clintons.

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Associated Press writer Nicholas Riccardi in Denver contributed this report.

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Follow Ken Thomas on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AP_Ken_Thomas

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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