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German-Americans picking sides in World Cup match

By WTOP Staff

DAN SEWELL
Associated Press

CINCINNATI (AP) — There’s eager anticipation — along with some divided loyalties — for German-American fans who had been rooting for both teams until their pivotal World Cup clash.

Organizers expect thousands to show up Thursday at Cincinnati’s Fountain Square for a watch party when the U.S. soccer team plays Germany. The downtown square also is home of the Oktoberfest Zinzinnati, which drew 600,000 last year for the annual celebration of the city’s vaunted German heritage, often with beer and bratwurst.

Grant Park in Chicago has been drawing huge crowds, an estimated 20,000 on Sunday, for outdoor watch parties, while sports bars and ethnic pubs there and in other U.S. cities with large German-American populations such as Milwaukee and Minneapolis-St. Paul have been packed for World Cup games and are ready for a big Thursday.

The German-themed Glockenspiel restaurant in St. Paul, planned to open early to get fans seated before the game, and in the Cleveland area, the Donauschwaben German-American Cultural Center in Olmsted Falls expects its restaurant to be busy.

In Cincinnati, “German-Americans here are really excited about both teams,” said Don Heinrich Tolzmann, president of the German-American Citizens League of Greater Cincinnati. Some are reflecting their divided loyalties by wearing German jerseys with U.S. hats, he added.

“It has a double-barreled type of excitement for everybody,” he said, noting that the U.S. team not only has a German coach but five German-American players.

German immigrants who flocked here in the 19th century shaped architecture, religious life, arts and cuisine in the Over-the-Rhine neighborhood and throughout the city, with hundreds of thousands of people of German descent still in the Cincinnati region today.

Organizers have been pleasantly surprised by turnouts for the first two Fountain Square watch parties, estimating some 5,000 fans were there for the U.S. game with Ghana and 7,000 or more for the Portugal game on Sunday, watching a huge screen on the side of a building, with food and drink vendors working the square.

Brittney Carden, spokeswoman for the Cincinnati Center City Development Corporation, said it was difficult to predict Thursday’s crowd since it’s a workday for many, but she expects people to throng there at least during lunch breaks.

Fountain Square is the traditional public gathering spot for celebrations of big wins by the Cincinnati Reds, who around the turn of the 20th century were sometimes referred to as “The Rhinelanders.”

But while it’s still early in the major league baseball season, it’s a crucial day for U.S. hopes of World Cup survival.

That’s why Don Johnson, 68, shelled out $21 Wednesday for a U.S. Soccer T-shirt, a first for him.

“I’m more interested this time,” Johnson said. “I’m getting into the spirit.”

Johnson said that neither he nor his friends will be rooting for Germany, but that there’s a lot of respect for the three-time champions.

“I’m kind of hoping for a tie,” he said.

Not Alexander Saar, among a few dozen people on the square Wednesday watching the end of Argentina’s 3-2 victory over Nigeria.

“I’m for Germany. I’m born in (Frankfurt) Germany,” said Saar, 35.

He’s pleased to see Americans warming to the game he insists should be called “football,” not soccer, in the city where professional baseball was born in 1869 with the Cincinnati Red Stockings. But he’s not big on baseball.

“It’s too boring,” he said with a grin.

___

Contact the reporter at http://www.twitter.com/dansewell

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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