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‘X-Men’ holiday box-office hit with $111 million

By WTOP Staff

JESSICA HERNDON
AP Film Writer

“X-Men: Days of Future Past” has become the fifth best Memorial Day holiday weekend debut in box office history over a four-day period.

The Fox action-adventure comes in just behind “Fast & Furious 6,” which earned $117 million over the holiday last year and above 2011’s $103.4 million-grossing “The Hangover 2.”

The seventh “X-Men” film made $111 million in domestic sales, according to Tuesday’s final box office figures. The film exceeded expectations for the studio that had hoped for $100 million in four days.

Internationally, the film raked in $193.7 million, which brings its worldwide box office total to an impressive $305 million.

After debuting at No. 1 last weekend with $93.2 million, Warner Bros.’ “Godzilla” dropped to No. 2, earning $38 million.

Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore’s comedy “Blended” opened in third place with an underwhelming $18 million.

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The top 20 movies at U.S. and Canadian theaters Friday through Monday, followed by distribution studio, gross, number of theater locations, average receipts per location, total gross and number of weeks in release, as compiled Tuesday by Rentrak, are:

1. “X-Men: Days Of Future Past,” 20th Century Fox, $110,576,604, 3,996 locations, $22,729 average, $110,576,604, 1 week.

2. “Godzilla,” Warner Bros., $38,437,298, 3,952 locations, $7,831 average, $155,785,665, 2 weeks.

3. “Blended,” Warner Bros., $17,735,205, 3,555 locations, $4,018 average, $17,735,205, 1 week.

4. “Neighbors,” Universal, $17,123,730, 3,266 locations, $4,294 average, $116,803,595, 3 weeks.

5. “The Amazing Spider-Man 2,” Sony, $10,010,639, 3,160 locations, $2,476 average, $187,111,831, 4 weeks.

6. “Million Dollar Arm,” Disney, $9,168,641, 3,019 locations, $2,308 average, $22,703,446, 2 weeks.

7. “The Other Woman,” 20th Century Fox, $4,505,727, 2,154 locations, $1,723 average, $78,604,149, 5 weeks.

8. “Rio 2,” 20th Century Fox, $3,410,700, 1,701 locations, $1,450 average, $122,508,740, 7 weeks.

9. “Chef,” Open Road, $2,975,784, 498 locations, $4,551 average, $4,264,084, 3 weeks.

10. “Heaven Is for Real,” Sony, $2,790,006, 1,720 locations, $1,182 average, $86,590,084, 6 weeks.

11. “Captain America: The Winter Soldier,” Disney, $2,271,098, 1,373 locations, $1,271 average, $254,112,096, 8 weeks.

12. “Belle,” Fox Searchlight, $2,184,190, 453 locations, $3,653 average, $4,383,950, 4 weeks.

13. “Mom’s Night Out,” Sony, $1,017,226, 861 locations, $903 average, $8,983,072, 3 weeks.

14. “The Grand Budapest Hotel,” Fox Searchlight, $830,756, 360 locations, $1,825 average, $56,763,202, 12 weeks.

15. “The Railway Man,” The Weinstein Company, $729,505, 600 locations, $920 average, $3,620,898, 7 weeks.

16. “Legends Of Oz,” Freestyle Releasing, $630,656, 674 locations, $667 average, $7,863,934, 3 weeks.

17. “The Immigrant,” The Weinstein Company, $568,777, 147 locations, $3,012 average, $639,117, 2 weeks.

18. “The Lego Movie,” Warner Bros., $541,317, 323 locations, $1,261 average, $255,055,805, 16 weeks.

19. “Mr. Peabody and Sherman,” 20th Century Fox, $378,621, 286 locations, $992 average, $109,771,473, 12 weeks.

20. “Fading Gigolo,” Millennium Entertainment, $341,254, 186 locations, $1,498 average, $3,180,947, 6 weeks.

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Universal and Focus are owned by NBC Universal, a unit of Comcast Corp.; Sony, Columbia, Sony Screen Gems and Sony Pictures Classics are units of Sony Corp.; Paramount is owned by Viacom Inc.; Disney, Pixar and Marvel are owned by The Walt Disney Co.; Miramax is owned by Filmyard Holdings LLC; 20th Century Fox and Fox Searchlight are owned by 21st Century Fox; Warner Bros. and New Line are units of Time Warner Inc.; MGM is owned by a group of former creditors including Highland Capital, Anchorage Advisors and Carl Icahn; Lionsgate is owned by Lions Gate Entertainment Corp.; IFC is owned by AMC Networks Inc.; Rogue is owned by Relativity Media LLC.

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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