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Thousands in US turn out to watch World Cup match

By WTOP Staff

LUKE MEREDITH
AP Sports Writer

Jose Arriaga has run out of excuses for missing work to watch the U.S. men’s soccer team in the World Cup.

The births of his children, deaths of relatives and those pre-World Cup friendlies — all have eaten up his personal days. But after watching the Americans advance to the knockout round despite a 1-0 loss to Germany on Thursday, Arriaga is ready to bargain for a few more hours when the U.S. resumes play next week.

“If we would have lost and gotten knocked out, I would have second-guessed missing out on work,” said Arriaga, a 28-year-old who put off mortgage work for a watch party in Dallas. “But we advanced and I can’t miss that. I think I made the right decision.”

Tens of thousands of eager Americans like Arriaga set work aside to watch the game — with or without their bosses’ OK. Many more watched online as they could. ESPN tweeted that its online streaming application set a record with a peak of 1.7 million concurrent users, leading to limited issues the company blamed on “unprecedented demand.”

The match kicked off at noon Eastern time, right in the middle of the work day for many, but that didn’t stop crowds from filling bars and restaurants from Orlando, Florida, to Seattle and many points in between. The biggest turnouts were at watch parties in places like Chicago’s Grant Park, Dupont Circle in Washington and Bryant Park in New York.

The nail-biting lasted a full two hours, and most fans were stayed until the final whistle to make sure the Americans had advanced, thanks to goal differentials and the other early match of the day, a 2-1 Portugal victory over Ghana.

“I’m willing to get in trouble,” said Sugey Lozano, an account manager for a Chicago mortgage servicing firm who planned to take a long lunch as she watched the game in the lobby of her office building on a 12-by-22-foot screen.

It’s a time-honored American tradition to scramble for excuses whenever work gets in the way of the big game. But more and more companies are fine with workers watching at the office instead of losing them to a full “sick day.” U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann did his part, posting an online note for people to give to their bosses that asked managers to excuse staff to watch the game for the good of the nation.

“By the way, you should act like a good leader and take the day off as well. Go USA!” he wrote.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation hosted a party for its staff of about 100 with a TV and food. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo approved an extra hour of lunch for all state employees so they could watch the whole game. Matt Rogers of the Washington-based Urban Institute, which held a party for its 400 employees, said the World Cup is a great way to build office morale.

“We don’t have many moments where you can find a common interest among a big chunk of that population,” he said. “Sports, and in particular a World Cup-type event with a national team — and tense and dramatic sporting moments — really bring people together.”

President Obama watched the match on Air Force One on his way to Minnesota. At the Transportation Department in Washington, officials worried that so many employees would watch online from their desks that it would slow down the agency’s computer network.

“We are going to monitor bandwidth utilization throughout the day and we’ll plan to block the streaming sites should we encounter any network issues,” Todd Simpson, the department’s associate chief information officer, warned in an email to workers.

John Challenger, the CEO of executive coaching firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc., estimated the match could cost U.S. companies $390 million in lost wages. But Challenger said the investment in something that brings staffers together might not be such a bad idea.

“It’s just like if you invite your team out to have drinks after work,” he said. “You’re spending it on enhanced morale and trust among your people.”

Of course, not everyone could watch the game at work or get the day off.

Dalton Hayes, a student at Simpson College in Iowa, asked for a few hours off from his summer job teaching swim lessons at a local pool.

When his supervisor balked, Hayes said he quit on the spot and now has to move in with his parents for the rest of the summer. He said it was worth it.

“I was just thinking, ‘I get to watch the game,'” Hayes said.

___

Associated Press reporters Brett Zongker, Josh Lederman, Carla K. Johnson and Joan Lowy and Sports Writer Schuyler Dixon contributed to this report.

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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