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9 Unsettling Facts About Child Marriage on International Day of the Girl Child

By U.S. News & World Report

About 1.1 billion girls live in the world today, but not all live equally.

The United Nations observes Oct. 11 as International Day of the Girl Child in an effort to spread awareness about gender inequality worldwide and to empower young girls around the globe. Such inequalities include general discrimination, access to education, nutrition, medical care and forced child marriage.

[MORE: The 10 Countries That Care the Most About Human Rights]

This year’s theme — “EmPOWER girls: Before, during and after conflict” — centers on the challenges and barriers to progress that girls face internationally as a result of instability and inequality in their home nations. The statistics are striking.

“Displaced and vulnerable women and girls face higher risks of sexual and gender-based violence, as well as damage to their livelihoods; girls are 2.5 times more likely than boys to miss school during disasters; and displaced girls are often married off as children in an effort to ensure their security,” according to The U.N. Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women.

Here’s a look at some of the most unsettling facts surrounding the global issue of child marriage:

1. One in three girls in the developing world are said to be married before the age of 18, and if child marriage is not reduced, the global number of women married as children will reach 1.2 billion by 2050, according to Girls Not Brides, an international organization.

2. More than 700 million women alive today were married as children, Girls Not Brides reports.

3. Poverty has the ability to place a girl at risk for marriage, but child marriage is also often a result of the perception that marriage will “protect” the child, according to UNICEF. The United Nations Population Fund explains that “many impoverished parents believe that marriage will secure their daughters’ future by ensuring that another family will be responsible for their care. This is also true in humanitarian crises, when many parents fear they will be unable to protect or care for their daughters. Some mistakenly believe marriage will protect their daughters from sexual violence, which is often exacerbated in times of crisis.”

4. Child marriage occurs in every region of the world, even in high-income nations like the United States and the United Kingdom.

5. South Asia reportedly has the highest overall prevalence of child marriage, with one in two girls married before the age of 18.

6. But Niger, Central African Republic and Chad have the three highest rates of child marriage.

7. A lack of access to education is a cause and a consequence of child marriage, according to Human Rights Watch, an international rights group. The group reports that 32 million primary school and 29 million lower-secondary school-age girls are out of school around the world, and almost two-thirds of the world’s illiterate adults are women.

8. Leadership in Tanzania and some other countries have enforced policies that bar married or pregnant girls from attending school.

9. Girls forced into child marriage often become pregnant while still adolescents, which increases the risk of complications in pregnancy or childbirth, according to the United Nations Population Fund. In some of the most extreme cases, the complications can lead to death.

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9 Unsettling Facts About Child Marriage on International Day of the Girl Child 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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