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With No Funding In Sight, State Considers Halting Purple Line Design Work

By WTOP Staff

Montgomery County Council members today urged the Maryland Department of Transportation against stopping and reallocating $41 million in design funding for the Purple Line light rail.

In the Department of Transportation’s Final FY 13-18 Consolidated Transportation Program, the state says that without a transportation revenue increase in this year’s legislative session, all Purple Line design work will be put on hold and funding dedicated to the project for the next year will be dispersed.

County Council President Nancy Navarro (D-East County) and Councilman Roger Berliner (D-Bethesda-Potomac) said that language was not included in the Draft Consolidated Transportation Program released last summer. In a letter to Darrell Mobley, acting secretary of the Maryland DOT, Berliner and Navarro called that decision “unacceptable.”

Dear Acting Secretary Mobley:

In reviewing the Final FY 13-18 Consolidated Transportation Program recently published by your department, we are dismayed to see new text in the “Status” section of the project information forms for the Purple Line and Corridor Cities Transitway that states:

“Without a revenue increase in the 2013 legislative session, the project will be put on hold and FY14 funding will be reallocated within MTA’s budget.”

This language was not included in the Draft FY13-18 CTP last summer. Since we did not know of the Department’s intentions then, we did not comment on such a potentiality at the Annual Tour Meeting last fall. However, if the Department plans to follow through on this position, then the $41.6 million already programmed in the FY14 for design of the Purple Line in Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties and $17.2 already programmed in FY14 for preliminary engineering of the Corridor Cities Transitway in upper Montgomery County would disappear entirely, and any progress on these two lines will stop dead in their tracks. After more than a decade of work on these two projects, this is unacceptable.

We support a significant State transportation revenue increase during the current General Assembly session that will fund the Purple Line, the Corridor Cities Transitway, and a few other of our highest priority State projects. But if this does not come to pass, we do not accept taking a step backward by de-programming the FY14 funds. We urge the Department to change its position.

We look forward to hearing from you on this matter.

Berliner, County Executive Isiah Leggett (D) and a number of other County leaders have been actively pushing a gas tax increase in the state assembly that would provide funding for the Purple Line and a number of other projects.

The 16-mile, $2.4 billion Purple Line light rail would run from New Carrollton in Prince George’s County to Bethesda and include stops in College Park, Silver Spring and Chevy Chase. The proposed Chevy Chase Lake Purple Line stop is the basis for much of the development being debated on Connecticut Avenue.

Uncertainty around funding for Purple Line construction has already meant a recommended six-month delay in funding for the Bethesda Metro South Entrance project, which would connect Metro with the Bethesda station.

Maryland Transit Administration officials revealed the latest designs for the Bethesda station at a community meeting in December. The Bethesda station would be one of the busiest, with an estimated 15,000 riders each day.

Berliner, Navarro Letter to MDOT

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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