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C. African Republic city tense after church attack

By WTOP Staff

HIPPOLYTE MARBOUA
Associated Press

BANGUI, Central African Republic (AP) — A group of Christian youth destroyed one of the last mosques in Central African Republic’s capital on Thursday, hours after Muslim rebels launched a grenade and gunfire attack on a Catholic church, officials and residents said.

Ousmane Abakar, a spokesman for Bangui’s small remaining Muslim community, denounced the Wednesday attack on the church and denied that local Muslims were to blame.

“For six months we have been the ones subjected to violence and the destruction of our mosques, including the one ruined in the Lakouanga neighborhood this morning,” he said.

Tens of thousands of Muslims have fled the capital in a mass exodus this year following scores of attacks by Christian militia fighters who blamed them for supporting a brutal Muslim rebel regime that was ousted from power in January.

Wednesday’s attack on the Notre Dame de Fatima church was a rare large-scale assault on a Christian community in Bangui. At least 15 people were killed including a priest at the church, according to the Rev. Jonas Bekas. It was not immediately possible to confirm the total death toll, as some victims were brought to hospitals and other civilians were abducted by the fighters.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon strongly condemned the church attack, as well as another brutal assault by Christian militia fighters that killed three Muslims who were on their way to an inter-communal reconciliation soccer match.

“The Secretary-General calls for an immediate end to the cycle of violence and retaliatory attacks,” said a statement from Ban’s spokesman.

On Thursday, a French helicopter buzzed overhead Bangui and foreign peacekeepers fired warning shots as they patrolled the tense city. Youths burned tires, sending dark clouds of smoke into the sky and put up roadblocks in their neighborhoods.

Thousands of people also marched in another part of Bangui, shouting slogans against the peacekeeping forces they say have failed to protect them. About 2,000 French troops and nearly 5,000 peacekeepers from neighboring African countries are trying to help stabilize Central African Republic.

The long near-anarchic country exploded into sectarian violence back in December, though the capital had seen weeks of relative calm before Wednesday’s church attack.

The Muslim rebels were known as Seleka during their time in power, and were bolstered by mercenary fighters from neighboring Chad and Sudan. While they left the seat of government in the capital, the forces are still active in the north-central region and have been blamed for killing scores of civilians there in recent weeks.

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Associated Press writer Steve Niko 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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