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Celeb birthdays for the week of Oct. 5-11

By WTOP Staff

The Associated Press

Oct. 5: Actress Glynis Johns (“Mary Poppins”) is 91. Comedian Bill Dana is 90. Singer Arlene Smith of The Chantels is 73. Singer-guitarist Steve Miller is 71. Singer Brian Johnson of AC/DC is 67. Actress Karen Allen is 63. Director Clive Barker is 62. Guitarist David Bryson of Counting Crows is 60. Singer Bob Geldof is 60. Actor Daniel Baldwin (“Homicide: Life on the Streets”) is 54. Guitarist Dave Dederer (Presidents of the United States of America) is 50. Actress Josie Bissett (“Melrose Place”) is 44. Singer-actress Heather Headley is 40. Singer Colin Meloy of The Decemberists is 40. Guitarist Brian Mashburn of Save Ferris is 39. Actress Parminder Nagra is 39. Actress Kate Winslet is 39. Guitarist James Valentine of Maroon 5 is 36. Bassist Paul Thomas of Good Charlotte is 34. Actor Jesse Eisenberg (“The Social Network”) is 31.

Oct. 6: Actress Britt Ekland is 72. Singer Millie Small is 68. Singer-guitarist Thomas McClary (The Commodores) is 65. Singer Kevin Cronin (REO Speedwagon) is 63. Guitarist David Hidalgo (Los Lobos) is 60. Actress Elisabeth Shue is 51. Singer-songwriter Matthew Sweet is 50. Country singer Tim Rushlow (Little Texas) is 48. Bassist Tommy Stinson (The Replacements, Guns N’ Roses) is 48. Actress Amy Jo Johnson (“Felicity,” ”Mighty Morphin Power Rangers”) is 44. Actor Lamman Rucker (“Meet the Browns”) is 43. Actor Ioan Gruffudd (“Fantastic Four,” ”Horatio Hornblower”) is 41. Actor Jeremy Sisto is 40. Singer Melinda Doolittle (“American Idol”) is 37. Actor Wes Ramsey (“CSI: Miami”) is 37.

Oct. 7: TV personality Joy Behar (“The View”) is 72. Drummer Kevin Godley of 10cc is 69. Country singer Kieran Kane of The O’Kanes is 65. Musician John Mellencamp is 63. Guitarist Ricky Phillips of Styx is 63. Actress Mary Badham (“To Kill a Mockingbird”) is 62. Drummer Tico Torres of Bon Jovi is 61. Gospel singer Michael W. Smith is 57. Former “American Idol” judge Simon Cowell is 55. Guitarist Charlie Marinkovich of Iron Butterfly is 55. Singer Ann Curless of Expose is 51. Singer Toni Braxton is 47. Singer Thom Yorke of Radiohead is 46. Actress Allison Munn (“One Tree Hill”) is 40. Singer Damian Kulash of OK Go is 39. Singer Taylor Hicks (“American Idol”) is 38. Actor Omar Benson Miller (“CSI: Miami”) is 36. Actor Holland Roden (“Teen Wolf”) is 28.

Oct. 8: Actor Paul Hogan is 75. Singer Fred Cash of The Impressions is 74. Actor-comedian Chevy Chase is 71. Author R.L. Stine (“Goosebumps”) is 71. Country singer Susan Raye is 70. TV personality Sarah Purcell (“Real People”) is 66. Actress Sigourney Weaver is 65. Singer Robert “Kool” Bell of Kool & the Gang is 64. Singer-guitarist Ricky Lee Phelps (Brothers Phelps, Kentucky Headhunters) is 61. Actor Michael Dudikoff is 60. Comedian Darrell Hammond (“Saturday Night Live”) is 59. Actress Stephanie Zimbalist is 58. Singer Steve Perry of Cherry Poppin’ Daddies is 51. Actor Ian Hart (“Dirt”) is 50. Singer CeCe Winans is 50. Bassist C.J. Ramone of The Ramones is 49. Actress Karyn Parsons (“The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air”) is 48. Singer Teddy Riley is 48. Actress Emily Procter (“CSI: Miami”) is 46. Actor-screenwriter Matt Damon is 44. Singer Byron Reeder of Mista is 35. Singer Noelle Scaggs of Fitz and the Tantrums is 35. Actor Nick Cannon is 34. Singer-songwriter Bruno Mars is 29. Actor Angus T. Jones is 21.

Oct. 9: Actor Fyvush Finkel (“Boston Public,” ”Picket Fences”) is 92. R&B singer Nona Hendryx (LaBelle) is 70. Singer Jackson Browne is 66. Actor Robert Wuhl (“Arli$$”) is 63. Manager-TV personality Sharon Osbourne (“The Osbournes”) is 62. Actor Tony Shalhoub is 61. Accordion player James Fearnley of The Pogues is 60. Actor Scott Bakula is 60. Actor John O’Hurley (“Seinfeld”) is 60. Actor Michael Pare (“Eddie and the Cruisers”) is 56. Singer-guitarist Kurt Neumann of The BoDeans is 53. Country singer Gary Bennett (BR549) is 50. Director Guillermo del Toro (“Pan’s Labyrinth,” ”Hellboy”) is 50. Singer P.J. Harvey is 45. Actor Steve Burns (“Blues Clues”) is 41. Singer Sean Lennon is 39. Hip-hop artist Lecrae is 35. Actor Zachery Ty Bryan (“Home Improvement”) is 33. Actor Tyler James Williams (“Everybody Hates Chris”) is 22. Country singer Scotty McCreery (“American Idol”) is 21.

Oct. 10: Actor Peter Coyote is 73. Actor Charles Dance is 68. Singer John Prine is 68. Actor-dancer Ben Vereen is 68. Singer Cyril Neville of The Neville Brothers is 66. Actress Jessica Harper is 65. Singer-guitarist Midge Ure of Ultravox is 61. Singer David Lee Roth (Van Halen) is 60. Country singer Tanya Tucker is 56. Actress Julia Sweeney (“Saturday Night Live”) is 55. Actor Bradley Whitford is 55. Bassist Martin Kemp (Spandau Ballet) is 53. Guitarist Jim Glennie of James is 51. Drummer Mike Malinin of the Goo Goo Dolls is 47. Actress Wendi McLendon-Covey (“Reno 911!”) is 45. Actor Mario Lopez is 41. Singer Mya is 35. Actor Dan Stevens (“Downton Abbey”) is 32.

Oct. 11: Actor Ron Leibman is 77. Country singer Gene Watson is 71. Country singer Paulette Carlson is 63. Actor David Morse is 61. Actor Stephen Spinella (“24”) is 58. Actress Joan Cusak is 52. Guitarist Scott Johnson of Gin Blossoms is 52. Actor-writer Michael J. Nelson (“Mystery Science Theater 3000”) is 50. Actor Sean Patrick Flanery is 49. Actor Luke Perry is 48. Actor Artie Lange (“MADtv”) is 47. Actor Jane Krakowski is 46. Rapper U-God of Wu-Tang Clan is 44. Rapper MC Lyte is 43. Singer NeeNa Lee is 39. Actress Emily Deschanel (“Bones”) is 38. Actor Trevor Donovan (“90210”) is 36. Actress Michelle Trachtenberg is 29.

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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