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No president for Lebanon as deadline looms

By WTOP Staff

ZEINA KARAM
Associated Press

BEIRUT (AP) — Lebanon’s parliament failed to pick a new president Thursday during a session seen as a last-ditch effort to elect a new head of state, two days before President Michel Suleiman’s six-year term expires.

The move all but ensures a presidential vacuum in the tiny Arab nation as it struggles to deal with security issues and the fallout from the civil war in neighboring Syria.

Lebanese lawmakers have not been able to agree on a consensus president and as in four previous sessions held over the past month, Thursday’s election could not take place because lawmakers allied with the Shiite militant group Hezbollah boycotted the meeting.

“I believe that we are heading toward a vacuum in the president’s post and there will be no elections,” legislator Khaled Daher told The Associated Press after the meeting. “This is a negative message to the international community.”

A presidential vacuum is not expected to have immediate repercussions. Lebanon has a national unity government, which will continue to administer the country.

But it is a setback to the country’s institutions and a blow to the nation’s Christian community, which has seen its fortunes slide considerably since Lebanon’s 1975-90 civil war.

Lebanon is the only Arab state with a Christian head of state. According to the country’s power-sharing system, the president must be a Maronite Christian, the prime minister a Sunni Muslim and the parliament speaker a Shiite Muslim.

Maronite leaders warned Wednesday that boycotting the parliament sessions was a “violation of the constitution and the national pact.”

Hezbollah officials denied they were obstructing the democratic process. A Hezbollah lawmaker, Hussein Moussawi, said lack of consensus on a leader meant that no candidate would be able to reach the required majority to win the voting.

Moussawi said attending parliament sessions in such an atmosphere would be a “waste of precious time better spent on … offering compromises” in the search for a strong, unifying president.

Lebanon is deeply split along sectarian and ideological lines and divisions have worsened because of the civil war in Syria.

Hezbollah’s involvement in Syria, where the group’s members are fighting on the side of President Bashar Assad’s forces, is extremely controversial and divisive in Lebanon. The country of 4.5 million is also struggling to deal with the influx of over 1 million Syrian refugees.

Lebanon’s elections are traditionally influenced by international and regional actors backing rival factions, and presidents are elected only after securing the necessary regional support and consensus among the political camps.

No such consensus has emerged yet. Thursday’s meeting was the fifth attempt to hold a session to elect a new head of state. A two-thirds quorum, or 85 of the legislature’s 128 members, is required for an electoral session. Some 73 lawmakers showed up on Thursday.

Hezbollah has maintained their attendance is pointless without agreement on a consensus candidate.

Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri said parliament would keep its doors open until the expiry of Suleiman’s term on midnight Saturday — in case the feuding political factions reach a last-minute deal.

It wouldn’t be the first time there is a presidential vacuum in Lebanon. The country went for months without a president before Suleiman, a former army commander, was elected in 2008.

Suleiman has angered Hezbollah by repeatedly calling on the group to withdraw its forces from Syria to avoid future repercussions on Lebanon, which has suffered through 15 years of its own civil war.

The group has rejected any discussion of an extension of his term.

In an interview with the daily An-Nahar published on Thursday, Suleiman said he regretted having to leave office without a hand-over ceremony with a successor.

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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