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Italy’s Renzi enhances anti-corruption czar

By WTOP Staff

COLLEEN BARRY
Associated Press

MILAN (AP) — Premier Matteo Renzi gave his top anti-corruption official enhanced powers Friday aimed at preventing scandals like the one that forced the resignation earlier in the day of Venice’s mayor.

Mayor Giorgio Orsoni resigned under pressure for his role in a sweeping bribery scandal tainting a major public works project to protect Venice from flooding — just one of a series of corruption scandals in recent weeks that have drawn comparisons with Italy’s “Clean Hands” investigations of the 1990s.

The crescendo of scandals has heaped pressure on Renzi to tackle Italy’s endemic corruption, which deters international investment and erodes public trust in institutions.

The premier, whose party backed Orsoni in his 2010 election, said the Venice mayor had a duty to resign “once he made a plea agreement, declaring himself guilty.”

Orsoni was among more than 30 people, including other politicians and officials, arrested last week in a wide-ranging probe that alleged the consortium building underwater barriers in the Venetian lagoon had amassed a 25 million-euro ($34 million) slush fund abroad to bribe officials.

The mayor was accused of accepting contributions for his 2010 campaign from the slush fund, although he denies knowing that any of the donations to his campaign were illegal. He was released from house arrest Thursday after accepting a four-month suspended sentence.

The ambitious barrier project, meanwhile, has suffered long delays and is more than four times over its initial cost projection. It is currently expected to be finished by 2016.

Under the government’s new measures, the country’s anti-corruption czar will have the ability to take over parts of public works projects tainted by scandal, like the world’s fair Expo 2015 in Milan swept up in a bribery investigation. Renzi said the move is critical to ensuring new investments are made in Italy, and that routing corruption is a long-term project.

“Let’s be clear: corruption cannot be fought with new rules, corruption is fought with an educational and civic bet, and with a large investment in the country’s moral conscience,” Renzi said.

Also Friday, a longtime ally of former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi who authorities said fled to Lebanon to escape a prison sentence for Mafia association was extradited to Italy under Interpol guard. Marcello Dell’Utri was transferred to a prison in the northern city of Parma.

And another one-time Berlusconi aide, three-time government minister Claudio Scajola, was granted house arrest Friday weeks after being arrested on suspicion of aiding a businessman convicted of Mafia association to flee abroad.

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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