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Crime Museum offers Halloween frights

By Michelle Murillo

WASHINGTON – The Crime Museum in D.C. is known for attracting crime enthusiasts, but through the month of October it has drawn visitors looking for a haunting experience.

The museum, which typically examines the history of criminology and penology in the United States, has transformed into a haunted house that promises scares in addition to some history.

The “Fright at the Museum: Dead Man Walking” experience kicked off Oct. 18 and tickets are available through Halloween night, according to its website.

Chief Operating Officer of the Crime Museum Janine Vaccarello says she came up with the idea to “spookify” the museum around Halloween several years ago. This year is the fifth annual haunted house at the museum.

“It’s literally all about the spooks and scares,” Vaccarello says.

The journey takes visitors through many of the museum’s crime and punishment exhibits, which are decorated with cobwebs and black lights. Ghouls yielding knives and chain saws jump out at the unsuspecting to a haunting soundtrack.

The intention of the design is to build on fears, Vaccarello says.

“A lot of people are afraid of clowns, so we have a clown room. A lot of people don’t like china dolls, they’re creeped out by those, so we have a china doll room,” Vaccarello says.

Also, there’s a snake a room and a graveyard scene. To conclude the haunting experience, visitors have to crawl through a hole in a jail cell wall to escape a masked ghoul with a chilling shrill.

Most the museum’s staff is involved in the haunted house in some way, Vaccarello says. Many watch the visitors in the security camera footage, she says.

“In the snake area you see even the grown big men curl up against the wall. It’s pretty funny,” Vaccarello says.

Anyone expecting Bonnie and Clyde to make an appearance in the haunted house will be disappointed.

“One of our goals is not to glorify the crime itself so we don’t have any recreations of criminals,” Vaccarello says.

The house opens Halloween night at 7 p.m. For more information and information on buying tickets visit the Crime Museum website.

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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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