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House Democrats best GOP rival in fundraising

By WTOP Staff

PHILIP ELLIOTT
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Donors keep opening their wallets for campaign committees and outside groups to pack the airwaves with ads and stuff mailboxes full of political mail. Some highlights from campaign finance reports filed Tuesday:

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HOUSE COMMITTEES RAISE CASH

House Democrats’ campaign arm once again outraised its Republican rival last month, according to summaries of fundraising reports.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee raised $10.9 million from donors in June and has $50.9 million in its bank accounts, officials said. At the same time, the National Republican Congressional Committee said donors gave another $9.6 million to the committee tasked with keeping House Republicans in the majority.

The Democrats’ campaign committee has outraised the GOP in 16 of the last 18 months despite long odds of tipping control of the chamber away from Republicans. The Democrats have now raised almost $125 million since the last elections and have been spending heavily to help their incumbents and candidates.

House Republicans’ campaign arm has raised $101 million this election cycle and has $42.5 million in the bank.

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BUSINESS SPENDING HEAVY

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s political arm spent $11.3 million during the past three months on roughly two dozen races, according to its finance reports.

The biggest spending was in Georgia, where the lobbying group backed Rep. Jack Kingston for Senate with $1.6 million in ads. Kingston advanced to a July 22 runoff against businessman David Perdue.

The group also spent $1.1 million in Colorado, where GOP Rep. Cory Gardner is trying to topple Democratic Sen. Mark Udall.

The Chamber also spent $700,000 on last-minute ads to help Mississippi Sen. Thad Cochran beat back a surprising tea party challenger in both a primary and a runoff.

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BOEHNER HAS $6M QUARTER

House Speaker John Boehner had a $6.2 million quarter.

Boehner’s national fundraising team raised $5 million while his leadership committee, Freedom Project, pulled in another almost $300,000. His Ohio-focused re-election campaign raised $870,000 and has almost $2 million in the bank.

The Ohio Republican also has boosted House Republicans’ campaign committee with $3.7 million so far.

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READY FOR HILLARY POCKETS ANOTHER $2.5M

A super PAC backing a potential Hillary Rodham Clinton presidential bid raised another $2.5 million in the past three months.

Ready for Hillary, which is not affiliated with the former first lady, has raised more than $8 million since it started laying the groundwork for another Clinton presidential bid. The vast majority if its donors — 98 percent — gave less than $100.

Should Clinton decide to mount a White House bid, the group’s list of donors and supporters could be a valuable starting point for her campaign.

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CARSON KEEPS DRAWING DONORS

The political organization run by Ben Carson, the Fox News contributor and potential 2016 presidential candidate, raised $1.2 million and spent $1.1 million of it.

The American Legacy PAC reported its fundraising has now reached $2.4 million for this election cycle and has built a donor base of 350,000 Americans.

Carson, a former neurosurgeon, became an instant star among conservatives after a fiery 2013 speech at the National Prayer Breakfast with President Barack Obama sitting nearby. If Carson decides to run, he will be able to tap those supporters for early campaign cash.

Newt Gingrich, the former House speaker and presidential hopeful, advises the group.

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Follow Philip Elliott on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/philip_elliott

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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