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Dutch King Acknowledges a Double Life as Airline Pilot

By U.S. News & World Report

The Hague — KLM, the Dutch Royal Airline, has been truer to its name than anyone expected.

The country’s reigning monarch admitted on May 17 to regularly stepping in as a guest copilot on short-haul flights of the national carrier.

“It’s important to me that I have a hobby that I have to focus on,” King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands told the Telegraaf, one of the country’s most popular dailies. The celebrated king, who just turned 50, has been copiloting roughly two return flights a month for the past 21 years.

When cockpit doors were still open, before 2001, people recognized him from time to time, he said. But mostly wearing the standard pilot’s uniform and hurrying through the crowded Schiphol, the country’s main airport, people tend not to spot him, he said. His name is not announced on flights, although he does frequently do the announcements himself.

The king came clean to his subjects because he’s looking to retrain on the Boeing 737, now that KLM is retiring its fleet of Dutch-made Fokker 70s.

Many royalists in the country were delighted at the news, though not everyone was surprised.

In this progressive and multiethnic society, the royal family owes its popularity to being seen as relatively modern, sociable and as close as possible to “normal.” During elaborate ceremonies or state visits, horse-drawn wooden carriages and opulently dressed guards are still the order of the day. The king, however, is usually seen in suit.

Willem-Alexander has a history degree from a public research university and — before he was crowned king in 2013 — was active in the country’s water management, an important topic in a country that is 26 percent below sea level.

For his 50th birthday in April on — what else — the nationally celebrated “Koningsdag,” or King’s day, he supped with all of his subjects who shared his birthday.

Tourist shops still sell postcards of the royal family, posing like they were in the 19th century, and the palace gardens serve as a public park .

While the king remains relatively popular, the monarchy itself has been losing public support in recent years, going from 80 percent in 2008 to 65 percent in 2016, according to a poll carried out by the national broadcaster.

The king enjoys the calm of the cockpit over politics.

“You cannot take your problems from the ground skyward. You can completely switch yourself off and focus on something else. That’s the greatest relaxation for me,” he said in the newspaper interview.

While he says he would enjoy flying long-haul flights, the king said he avoids being out his country overnight, in case something should happen that would require him to fulfill his kingly duties.

And while first among peers on the ground, the king is technically subordinate to the pilot when he flies his subjects around Europe. The pilots the king flies with are rotated due to security concerns. And his latest boss does not seem especially tough.

“For the relatively few flying hours the king makes, he is always very sharp,” Maarteen Putman, the KLM pilot the king has recently flown with, told the paper.

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Dutch King Acknowledges a Double Life as Airline Pilot originally appeared on usnews.com

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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