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Obama promotes foreign tourism in upstate NY

By WTOP Staff

DARLENE SUPERVILLE
Associated Press

COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. (AP) — As the bronze plaque of hard-throwing slugger Babe Ruth glistened behind him, President Barack Obama on Thursday pitched the United States as a destination spot for travelers, casting tourism as a job-creator that can offer a needed boost to a recovering economy.

Using the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum as his backdrop, Obama made a case for attracting more foreign visitors and helping a sector of the economy that has increasingly brought in more money but still faces competition from abroad.

“When it comes to tourism, we have a great product to sell,” he said. “Nothing says ‘Made in America’ better than the Empire State Building or the Hoover Dam.”

His visit to the 75-year-old museum, which attracts nearly 300,000 visitors a year, was the first by a sitting president. Obama, an avid ESPN watcher and sports fan, was clearly in his element. He noted, with amusement, that the exhibits included the jacket he wore while throwing out the first pitch at the 2009 All-Star Game. Then, recalling the ridicule he received for wearing “mom jeans” that evening, he added sheepishly, “Michelle retired those jeans quite a while back.”

Two years ago, Obama acted to speed the processing of visa for tourists from China and Brazil. On Thursday, he tackled the flip side of the problem: long waits for processing at U.S. airports and other ports of entry once tourists arrive.

Earlier Thursday, Obama signed a presidential memorandum giving his homeland security and commerce secretaries four months to come up with a plan to streamline the entry process for tourists and reduce wait times. He also asked the departments to work with the 15 largest U.S. airports, following steps taken by Dallas-Fort Worth and Chicago international airports to cut wait times.

During his museum tour, Obama held Babe Ruth’s baseball bat, palmed the ball thrown in 1910 by President William Howard Taft, the first president to make a ceremonial pitch, examined a ball recovered from the rubble of the Twin Towers and marveled at the shoes worn by Shoeless Joe Jackson. “He had small feet,” Obama observed.

At a display on the integration of baseball that featured Jackie Robinson and his retired Dodgers’ jersey, Obama said: “Got to have everybody on the field.” Told Robinson was hit by a pitch seven times in his first months in the major leagues, Obama replied: “Interesting to note.”

“Baseball describes our history in so many ways,” he said in his speech. “This hall has memories of two world wars that we fought and won. It has memories of color barriers being broken, Jackie Robinson’s uniform, the record of his first season as a Dodger.”

From the museum, Obama flew to Chicago to headline a pair of fundraisers benefiting a fellow Illinois Democrat, Sen. Dick Durbin, and Democratic Senate candidates. At a reception at the sprawling home of Michael and Tanya Polsky, Obama urged guests who paid between $1,000 and $35,000 for tickets to “feel a sense of urgency” about the midterm elections, a historically low-turnout affair.

Obama said the fate of too many important issues depend on the November results. The outcome will determine whether Democrats hold on to the Senate and whether the party bucks historical trends and gains seats in, or even reclaims, the Republican-controlled House.

“It is not good enough simply to sit back and complain,” Obama said, speaking from the home’s foyer. “Cynicism is not an option.”

Before traveling to the baseball museum, Obama met with 20 travel and tourism industry CEOs and senior executives, including Arne Sorenson of Marriott International, Mark Hoplamazian of Hyatt Hotels and Roger Dow of the U.S. Travel Association.

A White House report released Thursday said the number of international visitors has grown from 55 million in 2009 to a record 70 million in 2013, a level of growth that has supported about 175,000 jobs over the past five years. Two years ago, Obama set a goal of welcoming 100 million international visitors a year by the end of 2021.

Still, as the number of travelers worldwide increases sharply, the U.S. share of that market has slipped. Last year, 13 percent of global travelers visited the United States, compared with 17 percent in 2000.

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Associated Press writer Jim Kuhnhenn in Washington contributed to this report.

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Follow Darlene Superville on Twitter: https://twitter.com/dsupervilleap

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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