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Stages lighting up again in SC for Spoleto

By WTOP Staff

BRUCE SMITH
Associated Press

CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) — With a shower of confetti and the pealing of church bells, the Spoleto Festival USA on Friday opened its new season with a lineup including three operas, a production by Ireland’s Gate Theatre and a concert by banjoists Béla Fleck and his wife, Abigail Washburn.

The 38th edition of the festival concludes June 8 with a concert and fireworks at Middleton Place, an antebellum plantation on the Ashley River. By that time, there will have been 148 performances by 63 artists and ensembles.

Several hundred people gathered in the 90-degree heat in front of City Hall to hear speeches and a brass fanfare like those that have opened every festival since the late composer Gian Carlo Menotti established Spoleto in Charleston in 1977 as a companion to his Festival of Two Worlds in Spoleto, Italy.

Ong Keng Sen, the director of the Singapore International Festival of the Arts who is directing one of the Spoleto operas “Facing Goya,” is back for the third time.

He called Charleston “this beautiful city of enlightenment” and told the crowd “it is one of my greatest pleasures that I am in this city.”

He added the power of the festival is not only that it presents classical works, but provides a place where new operas can be produced and performed.

“This is one of the few festivals in the world and one of the only festivals in America which is still producing new opera at this intensity, with this intimacy and with this kind of love,” he said. “For that I am very grateful.”

Charleston Mayor Joseph P. Riley Jr., who helped convince Menotti to establish the festival in America, said the city has been changed for all time as a result of the Spoleto artists’ commitment to excellence.

“That experience challenges this city and all that we do – to reject the easy, the medium the just OK,” he said, adding the city now seeks to excel “in what we build, in how we act and how we care for each other.”

The opening ceremonies were capped by a performance by Jason Hortin of Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, one of this year’s dance ensembles.

In addition to “Facing Goya,” this year’s Spoleto is producing John Adams’ opera, “El Nino,” which tells the nativity story drawing on the Bible, European writings and sermons and Latin American poetry. The third opera is “Kat’a Kabanova” with Tony Award-winner Garry Hynes directing her first opera.

The Gate Theatre Stage is returning to the festival performing the whodunit “My Cousin Rachel.”

The jazz lineup features singer René Marie while among the other musical offerings singer Kat Edmonson is performing.

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On the Internet:

Spoleto Festival USA: http://spoletousa.org/

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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