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Clinton: Will have ‘specific agenda’ if she runs

By WTOP Staff

KEN THOMAS
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Hillary Rodham Clinton said Thursday if she decides to run for the White House in 2016 she will have “a very specific agenda” but acknowledged in an interview that the modern role of U.S. president has “gotten even bigger and more difficult.”

Clinton said in an interview with PBS’s Charlie Rose that her final decision will be “wholly personal” and does not want to decide until after she becomes a grandmother later this year.

“If I decide to run, I will have a very specific agenda about what I think we should be doing. But right now, we have a big election, midterms 2014, that could determine the control of the Senate,” Clinton said. “And I’m not going to, you know, jump the line and start talking about 2016 right now.”

Clinton leads Democratic presidential primary polls by wide margins but has not yet decided whether to run for president again. Her comments came as some Democrats have expressed hope that she will begin laying out a more specific vision for how she might lead the country if elected.

The former secretary of state spoke in a wide-ranging interview with Rose airing Thursday and Friday to promote her book, “Hard Choices,” about her time at the State Department.

Hours after a Malaysian Airlines plane was shot down, Clinton said European leaders should put more pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin if Russia was involved in the incident. She said there should be “outrage in European capitals” over Russian aggression in the region but ultimately it was up to Europe to take the lead.

Clinton endorsed stepped-up U.S. sanctions against Russia but said they would not “necessarily restrain” Putin or change his calculations.

Turning to domestic issues, Clinton said economic inequality remained a major problem for the nation, and the country faced an “economic crisis and we have a political crisis of our democracy. And I think they are related.” She noted the economic strength during the administration of her husband, former President Bill Clinton, which she said pulled millions out of poverty.

But Clinton said that experience helps her understand the demands of the job.

“I have no illusions about how hard a campaign is. But the campaigning, as hard as it is, is the easy part,” Clinton said. “Once you get there and you face this full array of problems.”

She noted that “operating the United States of America is all in one person. We don’t have a monarch, we don’t have a president and a prime minister,” she said. “So the job has gotten even bigger and more difficult.”

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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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