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Brazil labors toward delivering World Cup on time

By WTOP Staff

GRAHAM DUNBAR
AP Sports Writer

ZURICH (AP) — FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke is keeping watch as Brazil labors to finish stadiums for next month’s World Cup.

After years of missed due dates in preparation, the World Cup opens on June 12 in Sao Paulo with some of the 12 stadiums largely untested.

“I would not say it’s not ready, but it’s not finished,” Valcke said of the World Cup project at a briefing on Thursday.

Valcke got good news on May 1 when his daughter Valentina was born earlier than scheduled.

“At least she arrived on time, three weeks before, so she’s good,” the 53-year-old Frenchman quipped.

The Itaquerao Stadium in Sao Paulo, which will host the Brazil-Croatia opener, has been become the symbol of the host nation’s much-criticized efforts amid protests that authorities are too focused on soccer and not the needs of the people.

The venue is late, expensive and within sight of an occupation of private land by thousands of protesters who claim they have been made homeless by rising rents in the neighborhood.

With 14,000 guests, including invited heads of state, in the 65,000-strong crowd for the opening match, the scrutiny on Sao Paulo will be intense.

“This is why we need to have a level of operation which is perfect,” Valcke said.

Pressure on FIFA, local organizers and Brazil’s infrastructure will not ease during a tough early match schedule. There’s the Spain-Netherlands match in Salvador and England-Italy in the remote new Manaus arena, quickly followed by Germany-Portugal in Salvador and Brazil-Mexico in Fortaleza.

“These stadiums will be used at 100 percent of capacity,” Valcke said.

Reflecting on seven official years of World Cup work ahead of his May 18 departure to Brazil, Valcke accepted that “many things” could have been done differently.

“It is difficult. Maybe we should have involved the Brazilian government before,” he said.

Valcke said anti-government street protests, which marred the Confederations Cup last June, will likely return during the 31-day, 64-match World Cup. However, political demonstrations and banners will not be allowed inside stadiums and FIFA has acted to shield President Dilma Rousseff from a repeat of boos directed at her during the Confederations Cup opening ceremony in Brasilia.

Rousseff and FIFA President Sepp Blatter will not make speeches on June 12, though Valcke said they will jointly present the trophy on July 13 at the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro.

Valcke said it was “naive” to think there would be calm as long as the Brazil team stays in the competition.

“It goes beyond that,” he said. “Reasons for being in the streets in 2013 have not changed. There are social problems in Brazil. It will take time.”

While the 2014 World Cup will certainly be a commercial success for FIFA, Valcke has concerns for fans who clamored for tickets in record numbers.

“I think that the biggest challenges will be for them,” he said. “It will not be for the teams, it will not be for the officials.”

Flights and hotels will be expensive, though a bigger problem would be fans missing matches because of delays traveling across the huge country.

Under former organizing committee head Ricardo Teixeira, Brazil chose to use the maximum 12 host cities, committed teams and fans to a grueling travel schedule against Valcke’s wishes and dropped the Morumbi Stadium — then run by a personal rival at Sao Paulo FC — in 2010 to build the troubled Itaquerao. Teixeira resigned in March 2012 while implicated in taking tens of millions of dollars in kickbacks from World Cup deals before 2001.

Asked if FIFA made a strategic mistake putting so much trust in Teixeira, Valcke said: “I don’t think so.”

“In a way he was protecting a lot FIFA and the World Cup because he was against the involvement of any politician,” Valcke said. “He was the first one to say, ‘We don’t want any public money in the World Cup.'”

However, Brazilian taxpayers will pick up much of the $3.5 billion-plus bill for stadium work, with billions more spent upgrading airports, roads, power and communications grids.

Valcke defended FIFA against claims its demands forced Brazil to neglect social projects.

“Definitely, I don’t feel guilty that FIFA has used any public money against investment which should have been made in education, health or whatever,” he said. “When Brazil bid for the World Cup, they had a budget to do so.”

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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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