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City leaders talk 2024 with US Olympic Committee

By WTOP Staff

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) — City leaders from Boston, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Washington met Friday with top executives at the U.S. Olympic Committee to hear about the nuts and bolts of bidding for the 2024 Olympics.

Among those attending were Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and Boston Mayor Marty Walsh. Giants owner Larry Baer helped represent San Francisco, and bid chairman Russ Ramsey was there for Washington.

These were low-key meetings, in keeping with the USOC’s overall strategy as it decides whether to bid for 2024 and, if so, which city would have the best chance of winning.

The USOC will decide whether to bid by early next year. If it goes forward, the domestic selection process will be mostly done behind the scenes, in an effort to tamp down costs and potential embarrassment for cities that aren’t chosen.

The Olympics will be awarded in 2017, with Paris, Rome, Istanbul and Doha among the other possible bidders.

“There is a great deal of work left to do before we can make a decision, but I’m more optimistic than ever that a U.S. bid for the 2024 Games can be successful,” USOC chairman Larry Probst said.

What an Olympics might look like in each of the four cities:

LOS ANGELES

Venues: The only city of the four to have hosted an Olympics (1932, 1984), Los Angeles hopes to renovate the Coliseum. (A new NFL stadium might be in place by then, too.) Downtown Los Angeles would host about half the events, and the organizing committee says it can transport about 80 percent of spectators via an expanded metro rail system and other public transportation.

Climate: Temperatures in July and August hover between 75 and 85, depending on how close to the water you are. After Beijing, it will be hard to complain about smog, but it does exist in Los Angeles.

Advantages: They’ve done this before and those in the IOC with long memories certainly credit Los Angeles for reviving the Olympic movement with its successful 1984 Games.

Obstacles: The chance that it could feel like 40 separate events being held over a sprawling cityscape. Though London set the precedent by hosting three Olympics, the IOC might not want to make that a habit.

BOSTON

Venues: Gillette Stadium, Boston Garden, Fenway Park, the Boston Marathon course. These games would almost certainly be spread around New England. But where in Boston does the main stadium go?

Climate: Average high around 80 degrees in July and August. It rains and can get muggy, but nothing here that would prevent the Olympics from taking place.

Advantages: Hard to find a city with a better sense of sports than Boston. Mitt Romney, largely credited for saving the Salt Lake City Games, will probably be involved.

Obstacles: Times have changed, but those looking to pick on Boston’s ability to deliver on a big project (and yes, negative campaigning is part of this game) will find the city to be an easy target. Just go back to “The Big Dig” — that disorganized, delayed and massively over-budget tunnel project through the middle of the city.

WASHINGTON

Venues: Including Camden Yards and M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore and FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland, the D.C. area claims to have the most venues in a 40-mile range in America. A new stadium could be built on the site of the old RFK Stadium.

Climate: The average high in July is 87 — 2 degrees cooler than Atlanta.

Advantages: Many venues are built and ready to go. Hard to question Washington’s ability to put on a big show.

Obstacles: Q: What’s the capital of Brazil? (Hint: It’s not Rio). A: Brasilia. The point: Just because it’s a capital city doesn’t mean it resonates worldwide the way, say, Rome or Paris might.

SAN FRANCISCO

Venues: Levi’s Stadium (Santa Clara), AT&T Park (San Francisco), SAP Center (San Jose), the San Francisco Bay. (And maybe Pebble Beach?)

Climate: Summer doesn’t necessarily feel very summer-like in San Francisco, where the average high in July is 70.

Advantage: With its sparkle and international cache, San Francisco, unlike Chicago in the 2016 race, wouldn’t have to be “introduced” to the world.

Obstacle: Though San Francisco itself is compact — or maybe because it’s compact — these games have the potential to sprawl to Oakland, Santa Clara, San Jose and beyond. These are not quick trips.

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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