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Obama goes to Wisconsin in bid to oust Gov. Walker

By WTOP Staff

SCOTT BAUER
Associated Press

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — President Barack Obama is making a rare appearance on the campaign trail just one week before Election Day in an effort to help a Democratic challenger oust Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker from office.

Walker is a top target of Democrats in the midterm elections after he angered organized labor by enacting a measure in 2011 that reduced the power of public sector unions in the state. Obama was scheduled to campaign Tuesday evening with Democrat Mary Burke, a former Trek Bicycles executive and state commerce secretary, who is running close against Walker, a potential 2016 presidential candidate.

Polls show the race is deadlocked with very few voters undecided, which makes it even more important for Walker and Burke to get their backers to the polls. Wisconsin hasn’t voted for a Republican for president since Ronald Reagan in 1984, but Walker won in both 2010 and in a recall election in 2012. Just five months after that June 2012 recall win for Walker, Wisconsin handed Obama a 7-point re-election victory.

Obama will appear at a high school in Milwaukee, the state’s largest city and a Democratic stronghold. Burke must win big there and in similarly liberal Madison to counter Walker’s support among Republicans in the conservative Milwaukee suburbs and in rural areas.

Walker, during a campaign stop near Madison on Monday morning, said Obama’s visit and one by former President Bill Clinton last week, also in Milwaukee, shows that Burke is all about turning more Democrats out to vote, not attracting any of the few undecided voters that remain. First lady Michelle Obama also campaigned for Burke recently in both Madison and Milwaukee.

“They’re trying to drive up turnout figuring they’re not having much impact of convincing any more persuadable independent voters and it’s more about turnout,” Walker said. Walker, who launched a bus tour Saturday for the final 10 days of the race, said he was trying to compete for undecided voters all across the state.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, the head of the Republican Governors Association and a potential GOP rival to Walker for president, was scheduled to be in Wisconsin with Walker on Friday.

There aren’t many undecided voters to find. The most recent Marquette University Law School poll, released on Oct. 15, had Walker and Burke knotted up with 47 percent each and just 3 percent of voters undecided.

While Obama’s numbers have dipped much lower in other states, he still remains relatively popular in Wisconsin — particularly in Milwaukee. He won that city with 79 percent of the vote in 2012. The Marquette poll two weeks ago showed Obama with a 51 percent favorability rating statewide.

But Walker said Obama and Clinton’s visits, taken together with statements by national union leaders saying defeating him was a top priority, shows that Burke is the candidate of “Washington-based special interests.”

“They don’t like the fact that we took the power out of their hands, the Washington-based special interests, in the last few years, and put it firmly in the hands of Wisconsin taxpayers,” Walker said.

His signature policy achievement was passing a law in 2011 that effectively ended collective bargaining for most public workers, and also did away with automatic union dues deductions. Anger over that law motivated the recall and Walker’s victory further raised his national profile for a potential presidential run.

Burke, reacting to Walker’s comments later Monday, rejected his characterization and said that Walker’s campaign has benefited from millions in donations from “deep pocketed” special interests, many of them from outside the state.

Separate filings show that Las Vegas casino mogul Sheldon Adelson gave the Wisconsin Republican Party $650,000 on Thursday and the same day the party gave Walker more than $450,000.

Burke has donated $5 million to her own campaign, a third of the $15 million she’s raised in the effort to knock off Walker.

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Follow Scott Bauer on Twitter at https://twitter.com/sbauerAP

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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