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Spending frozen for all Montgomery County school board members

By WTOP Staff

WASHINGTON — The Montgomery County school board has suspended the use of school system-issued credit cards for all board members after one of its leaders used his improperly.

On May 21, ABC7 reported that school board member Christopher S. Barclay used his American Express card to buy meals and pay for hotel rooms.

Among the 14 unauthorized purchases he made, Barclay spent $906 on Hotwire.com and $73 at Enterprise Rent-A-Car. Also, he used the purchase card at Popeyes, CVS and 7-Eleven, among other places.

“I surely have learned from the mistake,” Barclay, a candidate for the Montgomery County Council, told ABC7. “Any time it was brought to my attention, I took care of it.”

On Monday, however, an ad hoc committee of school board officers and Michael A. Durso, chairman of the board’s Fiscal Management Committee, issued a news release saying that it agreed to freeze the purchase cards for the entire school board while the ad hoc committee reviews spending practices.

In the release, School Board President Phil Kauffman and Vice President Patricia O’Neill said the committee will review the board’s expenses for the past two years and determine whether purchases were appropriate under school board policy. Then, the ad-hoc committee will bring the recommendations to the full board for a vote.

“We are aware that [the school system] has received a number of public requests for documents related to the usage of credit cards,” Kauffman and O’Neill said in the statement. “Staff is diligently locating and reviewing the responsive documents and will produce the relevant materials.”

All told, the Parents Coalition of Montgomery County — an advocacy group that challenges the school system on various education issues — says that Barclay made nearly $1,500 in unauthorized purchases. Though he’s repaid the money, his political aspirations may have taken a sharp hit.

The Washington Post reports that the county’s powerful teachers union might withdraw its endorsement of Barclay as its pick for the Montgomery County Council’s District 5 seat. They could rescind that endorsement by Wednesday.

If Barclay loses the endorsement, he loses his spot on the union’s coveted “Apple ballot” — which, historically, is the golden ticket to winning elections in the county. Volunteers hand the ballots to voters going into the polls.

“This has been a teaching moment for me,” Barclay said in a statement. “I will continue to work with my colleagues to ensure a more transparent process in spending practices.”

The Democratic primary is June 24.

WTOP’s Kate Ryan contributed to this report. Follow @WTOP on Twitter and WTOP on Facebook.

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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