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Man accused in La. death recent border-crosser

By WTOP Staff

ALICIA A. CALDWELL
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — A Guatemalan immigrant accused of killing his girlfriend in Louisiana illegally crossed the Mexican border with his children last month and was released from custody after being issued a notice to report back to immigration authorities once he got settled in the United States, the Homeland Security Department said Wednesday.

Pedro Alberto Monterroso Navas was caught crossing the border in South Texas on June 26 with his two children, Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokeswoman Gillian Christensen said. The trio was released after immigration authorities determined that Monterroso, 43, had no criminal history or gang affiliation, much like an undisclosed number of other recent border-crossers from Central America traveling as families.

Local authorities in suburban Houston arrested Monterroso on Monday, a day after police in Metairie, Louisiana, found Heidi Monroy, 24, bludgeoned to death in the bathtub of her apartment. Monterroso is jailed in Harris County, Texas, and faces charges related to Monroy’s death. Jail records do not indicate whether he has a lawyer.

Christensen said Border Patrol agents apprehended Monroy and her three children after they crossed the border illegally in May. Monroy, who was from Honduras, was also released and ordered to report back to immigration authorities.

More than 55,000 people traveling as families have been arrested at the border since October. The Obama administration has repeatedly refused to say how many of those immigrants have been released or how many have reported back as ordered.

Christensen said Monroy had complied with the order while Monterroso had not.

The Border Patrol and ICE, which is responsible for removing immigrants who are in the country illegally, have been overwhelmed by a flood of minors crossing the border without their parents and the tens of thousands of families caught at the border. More than 57,000 immigrant children have been apprehended in the past 8 months.

The flood of immigrants, mostly from Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala, has been described by the Obama administration and many lawmakers as a humanitarian crisis. Child immigrants are being housed in a variety of emergency shelters, including three military bases in California, Texas and Oklahoma, while authorities search for their parents or other relatives already living in the United States.

Last month Homeland Security opened a temporary family detention center at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Artesia, New Mexico, that can house more than 700 people. Before that, DHS could only house 97 people at a single family detention center in Pennsylvania.

The crisis has prompted President Barack Obama to ask Congress to pass a $3.7 billion emergency spending bill to help deal with the influx of immigrants. Some of that money would be used to help speed up the process of returning immigrants to their home countries. Republicans lawmakers have balked at the request, saying it’s too high, while some Democrats have questioned whether the emergency spending bill would fully address the problem.

Earlier this week 40 immigrants being housed in the New Mexico family facility were flown back to Honduras.

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Follow Alicia A. Caldwell on Twitter at www.twitter.com/acaldwellap

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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