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Cantor pressured from both sides on immigration

By WTOP Staff

ALAN SUDERMAN
Associated Press

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — House Majority Leader Eric Cantor faced criticism over immigration from right and left Wednesday, laying bare the rough politics of the issue even as President Barack Obama sought to increase pressure on House Republicans to act.

Cantor’s tea party opponent in Virginia’s June 10 GOP primary, Dave Brat, convened a news conference on the steps of the Virginia Capitol to label Cantor a top cheerleader for “amnesty” in the House, citing Cantor’s support for action on certain immigration measures.

A short time later, in a conference room inside the state Capitol, Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill., a leading proponent of overhauling immigration laws, held his own news conference to accuse Cantor of standing in the way of action 11 months after the Senate passed a bipartisan bill with billions of dollars for border security and a path to citizenship for the 11.5 million immigrants living in the country illegally.

“Allow America to have a vote,” Gutierrez implored. Several immigrants who are facing deportation orders joined him.

The developments came a day after Obama sought to ratchet up pressure on House GOP leaders by delaying until late summer the results of a review of the nation’s deportation policy. White House officials said they wanted to preserve the opportunity for the House to act in the narrow window before Congress’ annual August recess and November midterm elections.

Just how unlikely that is was underscored by Cantor’s response this past week as Brat attacked him on immigration. Cantor sent a flier to voters in his district boasting of shutting down a plan to “give illegal aliens amnesty.”

That strong message was a changed tone for Cantor, who has repeatedly voiced support for giving citizenship to certain immigrants brought illegally to the country as children. Last year Cantor joined Gutierrez and other lawmakers on a three-day tour of immigration-related sites in New York aimed at increasing awareness of the issue.

“I’ve been telling the president, why can’t we do the things we agree on rather than to bring up this whole amnesty bill,” Cantor said Wednesday on Fox News Channel.

Brat dismissed the Cantor’s new tone in his flier as politics and flip-flopping.

“Eric Cantor saying he opposes amnesty is like Barack Obama saying he opposes Obamacare,” Brat said.

Cantor campaign spokesman Ray Allen said Brat is “simply lying” and Cantor has a clear record of opposing “blanket amnesty” while also being open to a discussion on how to fix a broken immigration system.

Cantor, who is in his seventh term and has won re-election easily, is not seen as vulnerable to the challenge from Brat, an economics professor at Randolph-Macon College. But he is also seen as next in line to be speaker in the House, and appears eager to shore up his support from conservatives.

Gutierrez said his appearance in Cantor’s district was unrelated to the Virginia primary. But several Cantor critics, including Brat, noted that Gutierrez’ appearance could actually help Cantor by reinforcing the image of an anti-amnesty crusader he is now seeking to project.

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Associated Press writer Erica Werner in Washington contributed to this report.

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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