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List of 21 people being honored as Carnegie Heroes

By WTOP Staff

The Associated Press

Winners of Carnegie Hero medals announced Tuesday:

— Robert Wayne Knoll, 24, of Ripon, Wisconsin, who saved an unconscious man from being hit by an oncoming train after a motorcycle accident in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, in July 2013.

— Justin Lowell Hanley, 43, of Miles City, Montana, who saved sisters, 14 and 10, from drowning there in the Yellowstone River in August 2013.

— Tony J. Schmidt, 52, of Hayesville, North Carolina, and Brannon Passmore, 27, of Blairsville, Georgia, who saved a man from drowning after he crashed his car into a river in Blairsville in May 2013.

— Andrew Calvin Zimmer, 50, of Emporium, Pennsylvania, who saved a disabled woman from burning in a house fire there in December 2012.

— Madison Leigh Wallace, 16, of Vermillion, South Dakota, and Lyle Eagle Tail, 28, of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, who drowned while rescuing Wallace’s 6-year-old brother, who had fallen into the Big Sioux River in Sioux Falls in March 2013. The boy survived.

— Donnie Navidad, 61, of Stockton, California, who saved a woman by catching her and breaking her fall as she dropped from the upper deck of the Oakland Coliseum following a Raiders game in November.

— Perry Hookey, 47, of Vacaville, California, and Lance O’Pry, 42, of Napa, California, who saved a man from the burning wreckage of a tractor-trailer in Vallejo, California, in January 2013.

— Joseph Inman, 24, of Vancouver, Washington, who saved an unconscious 16-year-old boy from the burning car he had crashed in Battle Ground, Washington, in July 2013.

— Michael Homeier, 37, of Ellsworth, Kansas, and Sean Petersen, 45, of Topeka, Kansas, who saved a 9-year-old boy from a burning vehicle that crashed in Ellsworth in May 2013.

— Christopher Heleine, 28, of Brazil, Indiana, who saved an unconscious man from a burning vehicle that crashed in Terre Haute, Indiana, in November 2012.

— Matthew Hare, 36, of Kelowna, British Columbia, who saved a woman from drowning there in 48-degree water in Okanagan Lake in November 2013.

— Colin D. Fath, 14, Graham W. Fath, 11, Matthew I. Grammas, 14, and Tyler T. Fredrickson, 14, all of Schaumburg, Illinois, who saved a father and son from drowning near a dam on the Vermilion River in Oglesby, Illinois, in June 2013.

— Gerald A. Madrid, 53, of Albuquerque, New Mexico, saved a choir director from a knife attack during a church service there in April 2013.

— Malo Enrique Paul, 16, of Niceville, Florida, who died while saving a girl from drowning in the Gulf of Mexico off Fort Walton Beach, Florida, in June 2013.

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Source: http://carnegiehero.org

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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