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Deaf teen finds unsuspecting ally at Rockville cinema

By WTOP Staff

Kate Ryan, wtop.com

WASHINGTON — This Thanksgiving weekend, Lana Pavlovskaya is proud and grateful.

She’s proud that her 16-year-old daughter Vika, who is deaf, is able to advocate for herself and her friends.

And she’s grateful that a manager at a local movie theater stuck by his decision to make sure that technology for deaf and hearing-impaired customers should function as needed.

Here’s what happened:

Vika and two deaf friends decided to go see the new Adam Sandler movie at Rockville’s Regal Cinemas. They chose that location because they knew the theater had the technology to synchronize the dialogue on screen with captions via a handheld device, like an iPad. Captionfish.com provides a list of participating theaters.

The girls were excited, they’d been looking forward to seeing the comedy. But when the movie started, there was a problem. The captioning system wasn’t working. The girls went to the manager, who apologized and restarted the movie. Still, the captioning wasn’t working. Once again, the manager delayed the film to see to the glitch.

That angered some customers. One woman, according to Pavlovskaya, became so angry she told the girls to leave, and demanded the manager start the movie immediately. Pavlovskaya says the manager responded by saying, “Well, these girls paid money too. So we need to fix it and you will have to wait.”

The third time, the movie started with the captions. Afterward, the manager, who wanted to make sure the girls felt welcome in the future, offered them free tickets to another show of their choosing. Pavlovskaya said his decision and that generous offer prompted her to contact WTOP.

“I think it can be a good example for anybody.”

She explains her daughter lost her hearing in infancy. As the parent of a child with a disability, she wishes more people could be like that manager, and put themselves in someone else’s shoes.

“For me, I feel very good, and when I feel good I want to do something good in return. And that’s the chain I think we want to follow: to make people happy, and share this happiness.”

WTOP contacted Regal Cinemas in Rockville, and confirmed the information. They identified the manager on duty that day as “Eric.” Pavlovskaya says he has her appreciation.

Follow Kate and WTOP on Twitter.

(Copyright 2011 by WTOP. All rights reserved.)

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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