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IOC issues warning over Israeli flag incident

By WTOP Staff

STEPHEN WILSON
AP Sports Writer

LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) — The International Olympic Committee issued a warning to the world baseball and softball federation on Tuesday after an Israeli delegate was barred from displaying his national flag at a recent meeting in Tunisia.

“This is a clear signal that the IOC is not accepting any kind of discrimination,” IOC President Thomas Bach said.

The IOC opened an investigation after the head of the Israeli Baseball Association, Peter Kurz, was told he could not display the Israeli flag or Israeli name plate at the World Baseball Softball Confederation congress in Hammamet, Tunisia, in May.

The IOC executive board noted that the WBSC had taken its own “appropriate and reasonable” punitive measures, suspending the Tunisian federation for six months.

But the IOC said it was warning the world body “to ensure that a similar situation is not repeated in the future.”

The IOC said the measure was taken “in view of the critical importance of maintaining respect for all members of the Olympic movement and upholding the Olympic values at all times.”

Kurz was one of 150 delegates from 90 nations attending the congress in Tunisia. He said he was asked to sit without his national flag or sign “for my own wellbeing and for the sake of the host country.” He filed a complaint to the WBSC.

“We examined it and understood it was probably a lower-level person, it wasn’t a plot,” Anita DeFrantz, an IOC executive board member from the United States, told The Associated Press. “It seemed someone individually took an initiative, but nevertheless it’s inappropriate, and we want to make sure the organization understood the responsibility for ensuring that the Olympic movement’s principle is applied.”

The warning is an embarrassment for the WBSC, which was recently formed to merge the two sports as part of a joint bid to win inclusion in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Baseball and softball have been out of the Olympics since the 2008 Beijing Games and have failed in several attempts to secure reinstatement.

“It’s not necessarily a blow to anything that will happen to that federation in the future but … this is a signal they have to be proactive and make sure it does not happen again,” said Christophe Dubi, IOC deputy executive director of the Olympic Games.

In October 2013, Tunisia’s tennis federation ordered the country’s top player to withdraw from a match against an Israeli opponent at a tournament in Uzbekistan. Malek Jaziri had been scheduled to play Israel’s Amir Weintraub in the quarterfinals of an ATP challenger in Tashkent. He withdrew before the match and Weintraub advanced to the semifinals of the lower-tier event.

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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