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Summer TV: It should come with danger warnings

By WTOP Staff

FRAZIER MOORE
AP Television Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — It’s a frightful world on TV these days.

A rash of scripted summer thrillers cautions viewers to batten down the hatches. Watch out who you let nibble on your neck! Hold your loved ones tight before they vanish into thin air! And with all the deadly viruses at large, you better bathe in Purell!

A certain brand of TV drama has always kept its audience on high alert, at least as far back as “The Twilight Zone.” But these days, with agencies hacking your email, new diseases cropping up, ice caps melting and drones overhead, viewers are sitting ducks for the titillation of dramatized threats to offer welcome distraction from the real thing.

The message is clear: Danger lurks everywhere. On your airline flight, you might get something even worse than the food, resulting in a plane that lands at JFK full of passengers-turned-corpses.

That’s the big start of “The Strain,” premiering July 13. And things quickly worsen. Side effects for each victim on this FX series include rapid hair loss and a blood-sucking proboscis.

This apocalypse has been loosed by evil forces. The only hope for humanity’s salvation is Dr. Ephraim Goodweather (played by series star Corey Stoll). He vows to save the day.

Same with the pandemic on TNT’s new “The Last Ship” (airing Sundays). By chance, an Arctic-stationed Navy destroyer has evaded this mass outbreak, leaving the crew with the duty of saving what’s left of humanity. Good thing they just happen to have onboard a renowned paleomicrobiologist, Dr. Rachel Scott (played by Rhona Mitra). She’s humanity’s only hope for salvation. She vows to save the day.

This virus of unknown origin has already killed 80 percent of the world’s population.

By contrast, a relatively meager 2 percent have disappeared on “The Leftovers,” abracadabra, with no warning. But the 98 percent left behind are reeling from the mass exodus.

This HBO series (premiering Sunday) focuses on what’s left of tiny Mapleton, New York, as citizens scratch their heads and feud about the root cause: rapture, or random catastrophe?

Meanwhile, birth control — in outer space — poses a dilemma on the CBS drama “Extant” (premiering July 9).

Halle Berry plays an astronaut who returns home from a yearlong solo mission only to discover that, on her flight, she was somehow impregnated. Pretty awkward, since she has a husband who was waiting faithfully back at home — and who, like her, had long believed she was unable to conceive.

Could she be the victim of an extraterrestrial roofie? But who’s the dad? Something sinister seems to be afoot, with a NASA official part of the mischief. And to make matters worse, the adorable robot child she and hubby are raising as their flesh-and-blood son just might be a psychopath, not to mention the harbinger of a robot uprising.

Is there any refuge from robot bullies, killer germs and cosmic abductions?

Well, you might look to Chester’s Mill, Maine, a once-serene village that was cut off from the outside world, with no notice or explanation, by a Pyrex-on-steroids prison.

This, of course, is the plight on “Under the Dome,” the CBS hit returning for its second season June 30. The citizens of Chester’s Mill are protected from invaders all right, but they manage to create plenty of grief for themselves, isolated claustrophobically within.

So pick your poison:

Cajun Country is plagued by the sexy but menacing vampires of “True Blood” (airing its final season on HBO on Sundays).

In post-apocalyptic Boston, civilians battle an intergalactic alien invasion on TNT’s “Falling Skies” (in its fourth season on Sundays).

And if they know what’s good for them, New Yorkers are bracing for the signature assault of the summer. A sequel to last year’s goofy Syfy horror film, “Sharknado,” is set for August, when a torrent of man-eating sharks will terrorize the Big Apple.

Not that well-heeled residents will be in harm’s way. They’ll all be safe and comfortable, out in the Hamptons.

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EDITOR’S NOTE — Frazier Moore is a national television columnist for The Associated Press. He can be reached at fmoore@ap.org and at http://www.twitter.com/tvfrazier. Past stories available at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/frazier-moore

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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