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House Democrats’ campaign arm reserves $44M in ads

By WTOP Staff

PHILIP ELLIOTT
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Democrats are ready to empty their deep pockets for television ads in their uphill climb to overtake Republicans as the majority party. Both sides’ Senate campaigns also started placing ad reservations with an eye on November.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee on Thursday began asking television stations in 36 districts to set aside broadcast and cable advertising time for the fall’s campaign blitz.

The House spending comes to almost $44 million in advertising requests, or $1.2 million per race. That’s the largest ever from the committee and the biggest so far this election year from a party-run campaign committee.

Separately, Senate Democrats’ campaign machine booked more than $9 million in three states for fall ads. And Senate Republicans’ political committee also put down $2.1 million for ads in Colorado starting in September.

The Associated Press obtained race-by-race budgets from party officials who insisted on anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss spending plans by name.

The level of detail in the House spending plan telegraphs which races the Democrats plan to spend money on, and when. The party committee cannot coordinate with allies at super political action committees, but operatives can point to public sources such as news stories to ensure outside groups are not missing races or wasting money on redundant ads.

But the tactic comes with a risk. Republicans can now see when the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee plans to be on the air, and in which markets.

For instance, the committee plans to spend $2.8 million on broadcast and cable ads in the Washington, D.C., media market between Oct. 21 and Nov. 4.

Rep. Frank Wolf, a 17-term Republican, is retiring and Democrats plan to compete in his Northern Virginia district, which is home to Washington surbubs.

In all, the campaign committee plans to spend money in 19 districts to defend incumbent Democrats, mostly newcomers, and in 17 districts that are in Republican hands.

That is a shift from 2010, the last nonpresidential campaign year. Then, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee reserved $28 million in advertising time to defend 39 Democratic-held seats and to challenge just one GOP-controlled seat.

The spending figures reflect the significant fundraising advantage Democrats have built over Republicans. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee ended April with $43.5 million in the bank and is set to spend that same sum on ads, starting in August.

The big spending still might not be enough to tip the balance of power. House Republicans have 233 seats and Democrats have 199 seats. There are three vacancies.

Redrawn congressional districts after the 2010 census heavily favored Republicans. Coupled with that, the party that holds the White House historically has lost seats in elections at this point in a president’s term.

Republicans’ House campaign arm dismissed the ad reservations.

“This is a $43.5 million sign of desperation and the clearest indication yet of the uphill climb Democrats face in defending Obamacare and their job destroying policies that are wreaking havoc on our economy,” said National Republican Congressional Committee spokeswoman Andrea Bozek.

But Democrats’ campaign machine is not backing down and consistently has outraised its Republican rival. The DCCC has raised almost $107 million this election cycle while the National Republican Congressional Committee has raised almost $68 million and began May with $32 million in the bank.

To defend endangered incumbents, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee plans $4.7 million to help Sen. Mark Udall of Colorado, $3.6 million to help Sen. Mark Pryor of Arkansas and $1 million to help Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire.

The National Republican Senatorial Committee, meanwhile, booked $2.1 million in ads to help Rep. Cory Gardner of Colorado, who has emerged as a strong challenger to Udall.

The ad reservations can be modified should individual races become less competitive. But by booking the time so early, the party committee locks in a lower price and a discount of as much as 35 percent.

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Follow Philip Elliott on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/philip_elliott

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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