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California governor to meet with Mexican president

By WTOP Staff

JUDY LIN
Associated Press

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Gov. Jerry Brown travels to Mexico for three days of meetings starting Monday and will discuss immigration in separate sit-downs with President Enrique Pena Nieto and Central American diplomatic and religious leaders.

The governor’s office announced Sunday that Brown will meet privately with Nieto on Monday about topics including immigration. It comes amid a trade mission aimed at increasing direct investments in California, promoting university exchanges and forming environmental partnerships to combat climate change.

The meeting Tuesday with more than a dozen Central American leaders and Los Angeles Archbishop Jose Horacio Gomez comes as a surge of unaccompanied young migrants and families mostly from El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala have crossed the U.S. border since October.

The trip, organized by the California Chamber of Commerce, includes a delegation of more than 100 state government, business, economic development, investment and policy leaders. Delegates paid $5,000 each for the four-day trip, which is subsidizing the cost of Brown’s travel.

“The relationship with Mexico, the role of those of Mexican heritage in California, is fundamental to our schools, to our well-being, and I think this trip will be productive,” Brown said ahead of the journey.

“We want to increase trade. We want to deal with some issues on the refugees that are coming across the border. And I also want to collaborate with Mexico in pushing an intelligent climate change agenda,” the governor said.

Brown is scheduled to begin his visit by meeting with Eruviel Avila, the governor of the state of Mexico. He will then sign a memorandum of understanding with Mexico’s Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, promote California tourism and meet the American ambassador to Mexico.

Also Monday, Brown will sit down with Mexico’s secretary of foreign affairs, Jose Antonio Meade Kuribrena, whom the governor met with last week in Sacramento. The governor said Wednesday that long-term solutions such as trade and cultural exchanges are needed to improve the safety and economic well-being of Mexico and Central American countries.

The Democratic governor said the influx of immigrants is more a humanitarian issue than a political one and that California “is willing to do its part,” but he didn’t provide details on what actions he might take. California Attorney General Kamala Harris said Thursday that she is helping secure lawyers to represent minors during immigration hearings.

Mexico’s foreign affairs secretary said Wednesday that the country is looking to help fight immigrant trafficking by tightening control at its Guatemalan border, which is known to be porous.

On Tuesday, Brown will sign an education agreement, then meet with officials including Mexico’s energy secretary and the president of the senate. On Wednesday, the governor plans to wrap up his trip by signing a trade agreement with Mexico, which is California’s largest export market.

About 10 members of Brown’s administration will accompany the governor, along with five state senators and 10 Assembly members. All the lawmakers are Democrats except Assemblyman Rocky Chavez, R-Oceanside.

Business participants include Sempra Energy, BP America and other representatives of the energy, tourism and agriculture industries. Representatives of the Natural Resources Defense Council and the Environmental Defense Fund will also attend.

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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