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Jordan Cooper: Why You Should Vote For Me

By WTOP Staff

Photo via Jordan CooperWe asked local candidates in contested primary elections to write a sub-750 word essay describing why residents should vote for them on June 24.

Next is Jordan Cooper, running for one of three District 16 House of Delegates seats in the Democratic primary. Below is Cooper’s unedited response:

I represent 2,000 constituents in North Bethesda as the President of the Luxmanor Citizens Association. As a member of the Western Montgomery County Citizens Advisory Board, I join the Board in advising the Montgomery County Executive and County Council on the County budget. I am an appointee of the Governor on the Selective Service Board of Rockville, and I am the only challenger candidate running for Delegate in District 16 who has extensive on-the-ground legislative experience in Annapolis.

I’m the only challenger candidate in this race who was born, raised, and educated in District 16, having attended and graduated from Luxmanor ES, Tilden MS, and Walter Johnson HS. I am a graduate of Vassar College and have a master’s degree in health policy from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. I have worked on health policy in the Maryland House of Delegates, have written language that has subsequently been incorporated into final regulations on quality measurement pertaining to the Affordable Care Act, and I currently work on Health IT at Kaiser Permanente.

My top priorities upon being elected to represent Bethesda, Potomac, Friendship Heights, and Glen Echo in the Maryland House of Delegates are to:

1. Advance affordable, quality healthcare
2. Advocate for excellence in pre-K-12 and higher education
3. Invest in our infrastructure for a stronger economy

Every month individuals and small businesses face escalating health insurance premiums. My top priority in the House of Delegates will be to work to drive down the unnecessarily high cost of health care in Maryland. I will work to ensure that every Marylander has access to healthcare for every part of their body. I will work to negotiate down the price of prescription drugs through the Health Benefits Exchange and make sure that one doctor can no longer charge five times more than another doctor for the same procedure.

This is a proven concept that has saved millions of dollars while reducing health disparities in Maryland hospitals since the 1970s. Finally, I will work on legislation that will usher in a transition from medical reimbursement structures that incentivize volume to models that create added value in healthcare.

With regard to education, as MCPS enrollment continues to grow at the rate of a new high school each year, I will work to bring more school construction dollars back to Montgomery County so that we have enough space in each school for every child. I will defend funding for the arts & music in education, because these programs foster creative problem solving skills, which are the skills that will distinguish our workforce in the new global economy. Finally, I will fight to expand foreign language immersion programs to all elementary students in Maryland. These programs would carry limited fiscal impact and have been proven to work in six separate instances in Montgomery County.

I believe that the State’s primary responsibility in ensuring that Maryland has a strong economy is to ensure that our public infrastructure functions reliably. Businesses cannot function well in an environment where power outages are frequent and of long duration, nor where water and sewer lines burst, nor where employees are unable to commute to work because mass transit options are consistently delayed. Greater emphasis needs to be placed on investing in the infrastructure that we already have to prevent deterioration of service.

I will work to drive down healthcare costs, maintain excellence in the MCPS educational system, and improve the reliability of our transportation and utility infrastructure.

That is why on June 24th, when you vote in the Democratic Primary, I ask that you consider supporting me, Jordan P. Cooper, with your vote for State Delegate.

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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