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European challengers support America’s Cup

By WTOP Staff

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Four European teams intending to challenge for the America’s Cup released a statement Friday supporting the event following the withdrawal of an Australian syndicate that was serving as Challenger of Record.

The statement was released by Britain’s Ben Ainslie Racing, Sweden’s Artemis Racing, Italy’s Luna Rossa Challenge and Team France.

Conspicuous by its absence was Team New Zealand, which lost last year’s America’s Cup match to Oracle Team USA after leading 8-1. The Kiwis have said they intend to enter the next America’s Cup. Team officials didn’t respond to emails seeking comment.

The statement said the four challengers “confirm their full support to the event” regardless of the venue.

After eliminating a return to San Francisco, America’s Cup officials have narrowed the venue competition to San Diego or Bermuda. A decision is expected in the fall.

“I think it was really just in the wake of Hamilton Island standing down, for us as challengers to say, look, we still really support and believe in this event and are excited about the future,” Ainslie told The Associated Press by phone from England. Ainslie, the most decorated Olympic sailor in history, had a key role in Oracle Team USA’s 9-8 victory over the Kiwis on San Francisco Bay. He’s now hoping to become the first Englishman to win the oldest trophy in international sports.

Australia’s Hamilton Island Yacht Club withdrew as Challenger of Record last week, citing the cost of the next America’s Cup.

There has also been consternation among the challengers about the America’s Cup being pulled out of San Francisco.

Iain Percy, head of Artemis Challenge, said the next America’s Cup will be “a brilliant event.”

“Sometimes we don’t do justice by concentrating on all the politics and negativity. We need to just get on with it a bit,” Percy told the AP by phone.

The statement said the challengers “look forward to establish a constant dialogue with the Defender Oracle Team USA” and “to cooperate actively with the Defender to adapt the rules where need be.”

Percy said Artemis has been consistent in not agreeing with Oracle’s idea of a split venue, in which the first rounds of the challenger elimination series would be held in one port and the final stages, including the challenger semifinals, finals and America’s Cup match, would be held in another venue.

The split venue concept might be moot if four or fewer challengers enter by the Aug. 8 deadline.

“We’ve always said that’s not something we particularly agree with,” Percy said. “It’s not stopping us from entering but it’s something we don’t particularly like.”

According to minutes of a recent challengers meetings obtained by the AP, it was a “universal concern” that Bermuda “is not a great venue,” and “all challengers feel that San Francisco is the right location for the finals and match.”

“San Francisco is obviously one of the best sailing venues in terms of wind and conditions and spectators,” Percy said from his team’s base in Alameda, across the bay from San Francisco. “It’s very hard for all teams to turn away and accept that it just wasn’t working from a commercial standpoint. But it has to pay for itself for the long term and for the short term. Frankly, it’s just the way it is.”

Percy said it would be bad if the wind in Bermuda or San Diego wasn’t strong enough for the 62-foot, wing sail catamarans to consistently rise up on hydrofoils and skim across the waves.

“The other venues are not as good in terms of as sailing conditions as San Francisco. There’s nothing controversial about saying that,” said Percy, who added that teams have received updated wind data about Bermuda and San Diego.

Percy said the second-generation catamarans “will provide entertainment. Will it be quite as spectacular as watching from the shore of Alcatraz? Probably not. That does not mean that it won’t be probably the best, most entertaining sport that will be on in 2017.”

It’s believed that Luna Rossa and Artemis are the only challengers to submit entries so far, and that the Italians would be in line to become Challenger of Record, which represents all foreign syndicates in dealing with the defending champion.

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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