9 confirmed tornadoes in Maryland Friday

By WTOP Staff
June 3, 2012 | 9:23 AM

WASHINGTON – The National Weather service says at least nine confirmed tornadoes touched down in the area Friday afternoon.

All of the tornadoes were in Maryland. They all touched down between 2:30 p.m. and 7 :30 p.m.

The strongest tornadoes were in Howard and Harford counties. Harford County estimates the storms caused $1 million in damage. Those have been classified as EF1 tornadoes, with estimated wind speeds of 86 mph to 110 mph.

The strong Howard County tornado moved along for Watersville Road for 1.4 miles in Watersville, Md.

The EF1 tornado in Harford County was in the Pleasant Hills, Md. area.

Another five tornadoes in the state – three in Montgomery County, one in Prince George’s County and one in Carroll County – have been classified has EF0 with estimated wind speeds of 65 mph to 85 mph.

In Montgomery County, there were two confirmed tornadoes in Damascus, and another near Poolesville. The Prince George’s County tornado was in the Springdale area.

Two more tornadoes were confirmed in Anne Arundel and Carroll counties, but they haven’t yet been classified.

“The Enhanced Fujita Scale goes from zero to five,” says Bryan Jackson, a National Weather Service meteorologist. “EF-0 being 65-to-85 miles an hour [wind gusts], the EF-1 is 86-to-110 [wind gusts].”

He adds that the wind speed estimates are based on the amount of damage.

The National Weather Service says more tornadoes could be confirmed, as they are still investigating other sites. Earlier, the Weather Service estimated that there were many as ten tornadoes in the area Friday. Full results may be available later this week.

Another tornado touched down in Hampton, Va., causing an estimated $4.3 million in damage.

Friday’s storms knocked out power to thousands of people across the region, with many not seeing their electricity return until Saturday afternoon or night.

WTOP’s Max Smith contributed to this report. Follow WTOP on Twitter.

(Copyright 2012 by WTOP & the Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
July 14, 2026 | 6:30 PM

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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