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White Flint Coming To The Web Soon

By WTOP Staff

White Flint, Flickr photo by dan reed!Expect an official website with a business directory, history of the area and list of events in the ongoing effort to brand the White Flint area of North Bethesda.

Ken Hartman, director of the county’s Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Services Center, said he and his staff are working on MetroWhiteFlint.org, a website owned by the county that one day could be handed over to a Bethesda Urban Partnership-like urban maintenance corporation for White Flint.

For now, the idea is to present one official website that ties together and promotes the changing area of strip shopping centers around the White Flint Metro station.

Hartman detailed preliminary plans for the website at a Tuesday meeting of the White Flint Downtown Advisory Committee.

The committee, made up of residents, county government officials, business owners and land developers, is charged with setting the stage for a White Flint Urban Partnership that would provide streetscaping, maintenance, landscaping and organization for special arts and entertainment events.

The website would be a key component of that, and what many on the committee have said is a necessary step to making others aware of White Flint as a downtown area.

Over the next roughly 25 years, the mixed-use, town-center developments and others approved under new zoning enacted in the 2010 White Flint Sector Plan will bring more than 14,000 housing units and 13 million square feet in commercial space to both sides of Rockville Pike.

The first of those major projects — Pike & Rose at the former Mid-Pike Plaza — is now leasing its first apartment units and will open much of its Phase I buildings later this year.

Hartman said the idea for the website right now is to divide the area in four general districts: The Pike & Rose/Marriott Conference Center area, North Bethesda Market/NoBe, the White Flint Gateway area and the Metro District that would encompass everything in the northeast portion of the sector.

Then, addresses and info for retail and restaurants would be listed by district. Hartman and staff identified more than 220 current retail businesses, 55 of which are dining establishments. This is before major mixed-use development has been approved for White Flint Mall and the LCOR property just north of the metro station.

The website would also include a detailed history of the area, links to a Twitter feed with event announcements and updates, ads from local businesses and developers and a development map similar to what already exists on the Regional Services Center’s blog.

The group doesn’t yet have a branding strategy for the area, which some have argued should be called North Bethesda instead of White Flint.

A proposal for the website from the same developer that made Bethesda Urban Partnership’s website came in at under $10,000.

Flickr photo by dan reed!

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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