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Judge upholds DC gun registration requirements

By WTOP Staff

JESSICA GRESKO
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge Thursday upheld registration requirements that are part of the gun laws in the nation’s capital, approving of measures that make owners take a gun safety class, be photographed and fingerprinted and re-register their weapons every three years.

The city put the requirements in place after a landmark 2008 Supreme Court decision that ended a 32-year-old handgun ban in the District of Columbia. U.S. District Court Judge James Boasberg ruled that requirements the city put in place are constitutional.

This isn’t the first time a judge has approved of the requirements. A judge first upheld them in 2010 after a group of residents sued. A year later, however, an appeals court upheld a city ban on assault weapons but told the District it had to explain further why its registration requirements are necessary. In his 62-page ruling Thursday, Boasberg accepted the city’s reasoning.

Boasberg began his ruling by noting “The District of Columbia knows gun violence,” and citing high-profile gun crimes in recent years, including a gunman’s fatal shooting of 12 people at the Washington Navy Yard last year. Boasberg said the city has enacted some of the most restrictive gun laws in the nation in “an effort to stem this violence and promote public safety.”

“The people of this city, acting through their elected representatives, have sought to combat gun violence and promote public safety. The Court finds that they have done so in a constitutionally permissible manner,” he wrote.

Stephen P. Halbrook, a lawyer who represented the residents who sued, said he was “disappointed” that all the registration requirements were upheld. He said he expected to appeal the ruling to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. He also took issue with Boasberg’s use of the Navy Yard case and other crimes committed with guns.

“Our point is the restrictions on law-abiding people doesn’t help that situation,” said Halbrook, who represents the group that includes Dick Heller, the man who challenged the city’s handgun ban and won before the U.S. Supreme Court.

Only six states and the District have registration requirements for some or all firearms, according to the San Francisco-based Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence. The District is one of only a few places, including Hawaii and California, that also have registration requirements for so-called long guns, rifles and shotguns.

Restrictions in the District also include that a resident can only register one pistol a month. A required training and safety class is free, takes about 30 minutes to one hour to complete and can be taken online or at the police department.

D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray called Thursday’s ruling an “important win for public safety” in the city.

“I appreciate the court’s affirmation of our sensible gun control laws and urge other jurisdictions to follow our lead,” Gray said in a statement.

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Follow Jessica Gresko at http://twitter.com/jessicagresko

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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