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Wendy Davis going beyond Texas for campaign bucks

By WTOP Staff

PAUL J. WEBER
Associated Press

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Hollywood loves stars and loves an underdog, and Democrat Wendy Davis is both. At a recent rooftop fundraiser hosted by Steven Spielberg and Jeffrey Katzenberg at the Bad Robot film studios near Los Angeles, she socked away more money for what could be a financially record-shattering race for Texas governor.

Likewise, in Manhattan brownstones, Silicon Valley mansions and Washington hotels, Davis has told her compelling personal story of rising from a trailer park to Harvard Law and reeled in donors. She now has financial backers in every U.S. state and has collected nearly four times as much — at least $3.6 million — from outside Texas as her opponent, Republican Greg Abbott.

The Fort Worth state lawmaker’s feats as a fundraising dynamo since her nearly 13-hour filibuster over new Texas abortion restrictions a year ago have put her in a stronger financial position than any recent Democratic candidate for Texas governor, raising the likelihood she’ll be able to afford the barrage of airtime needed to compete in a state with two time zones and 20 media markets.

“Texas is a huge state,” said Kristin Oblander, a national Democratic fundraiser who helped host a Davis luncheon in Atlanta. She added, “The budgets for these races are immense, and the pressure for fundraising is huge.”

But Republicans are beginning to make an issue of her out-of-state money, and it’s not clear whether the cash will be enough to help her close the gap in a state that hasn’t elected a Democrat to statewide office in 20 years.

Davis has continued to trail significantly in polls following Texas primary elections, and just this week made a huge shakeup by switching campaign managers. Even the chairman of the Democratic Governors Association didn’t include Texas while ticking off a list of top races that the group deems winnable.

Davis isn’t eager to discuss her out-of-state support.

“The vast majority of the donations have come from within our state. This is a race about Texas,” said Davis, deflecting questions recently about her national fundraising.

Courting out-of-state-dollars is not uncommon in governor’s races — Virginia Democrat Terry McAuliffe and Wisconsin Republican Scott Walker raised most of their funds last year from beyond their state borders. But it’s rarer in Texas where both parties have deep rosters of big donors, and it’s sensitive for Democratic candidates who must appeal to conservative voters.

Her campaign crows about an impressive 133,600 individual donors she has enlisted in raising at least $16 million, which approaches the $17 million Abbott has raised since last summer. More than one in every four dollars to Davis has come from out of state. More than 90 percent of Abbott’s haul is home-state money.

“Republicans have such a strong base here in Texas,” said Roy Bailey, a top Republican fundraiser in Dallas. “If you’re looking out of state, it just tells you there’s something fundamentally wrong with where you’re running.”

Although Abbott has taken money from the conservative billionaire Koch brothers, who are in Kansas, his campaign says he’s putting in the most face time across Texas’ 254 counties.

“We’re out there talking to Texans. She’s out there talking to Californians and New Yorkers,” Abbott spokesman Matt Hirsch said.

The pitch Davis makes to donors elsewhere is familiar: Republicans who’ve run the state have shortchanged basics like schools and tightened access to abortion, and a new tea party wave is only pushing the state farther to the right. Her celebrity status is an added attraction.

“I shelled out a hundred bucks just to be able to meet her, shake her hand and talk to her for a second,” said Vicki Roush, 60, a Florida wine shop manager who’s never lived in Texas but attended a Davis fundraiser in Key West. She said she cried while watching Davis’ filibuster online last summer. “All the girls I know that were there were beside themselves.”

At the same time, some Democratic Party support may be holding back until the state’s growing Hispanic population makes a Democratic victory more likely in the next five to 10 years.

“It’s been frustrating for people here,” said Scott Atlas, finance director for Bill White, the Democratic candidate in 2010, who got little help from the Democratic Governors Association and lost by double digits.

Many Texas Democrats say it’s simply nice to see other states opening its checkbooks for one of their candidates for once.

“I think it’s to her credit. I hope she raises a lot of money out of state,” said Arthur Schechter, a prominent Democratic fundraiser. For other state’s candidates, “We’re the national ATM machine.”

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Follow Paul J. Weber on Twitter: www.twitter.com/pauljweber

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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