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Celeb birthdays for the week of Aug. 3-9

By WTOP Staff

The Associated Press

Aug. 3: Singer Tony Bennett is 88. Actor Martin Sheen is 74. Singer Beverly Lee of The Shirelles is 73. Lifestyle guru Martha Stewart is 73. Bassist B.B. Dickerson of War is 65. Movie director John Landis is 64. Actress JoMarie Payton (“Family Matters”) is 64. Actor Jay North (“Dennis the Menace”) is 63. Guitarist Randy Scruggs is 61. Actor John C. McGinley (“Scrubs”) is 55. Bassist Lee Rocker (Stray Cats) is 53. Actress Lisa Ann Walter (“Bruce Almighty”) is 53. Singer-guitarist James Hetfield of Metallica is 51. Singer Ed Roland of Collective Soul is 51. Actor Isaiah Washington is 51. Keyboardist Dean Sams of Lonestar is 48. Guitarist Stephen Carpenter of Deftones is 44. Musician Spinderella of Salt-N-Pepa is 43. Actress Brigid Brannagh (“Army Wives”) is 42. Actor Michael Ealy is 41. Violinist Jimmy De Martini of Zac Brown Band is 38. Actress Evangeline Lilly (“Lost”) is 35. Singer Holly Arnstein of Dream is 29. Bassist Brent Kutzle of OneRepublic is 29.

Aug. 4: Singer Frankie Ford is 75. Actor-comedian Richard Belzer is 70. Actor Billy Bob Thornton is 59. Drummer Rob Cieka of Boo Radleys is 46. Actor Daniel Dae Kim is 46. Rapper Yo-Yo (“Miss Rap Supreme”) is 43. Singer-actor Marques Houston of Immature is 33. “American Idol” runner-up Crystal Bowersox is 29. Singer Tom Parker of The Wanted is 26. “American Idol” runner-up Jessica Sanchez is 19.

Aug. 5: Actress Loni Anderson is 69. Singer Rick Derringer is 67. Singer Samantha Sang is 61. Actress Maureen McCormick (“The Brady Bunch”) is 58. Guitarist Pat Smear (Foo Fighters) is 55. Country fiddler Mark O’Connor is 53. Actor Jonathan Silverman is 48. Country singer Terri Clark is 46. Cellist Eicca Toppinen of Apocalyptica is 39.

Aug. 6: Actor-director Peter Bonerz is 76. Actress Catherine Hicks (“Seventh Heaven”) is 63. Singer Pat MacDonald of Timbuk 3 is 62. Actress Faith Prince is 57. Singer Randy DeBarge of DeBarge is 56. Country singers Peggy and Patsy Lynn of The Lynns are 50. Actor Jeremy Ratchford (“Cold Case”) is 49. Country singer Lisa Stewart is 46. Writer-director M. Night Shyamalan is 44. Singer Geri Halliwell (Spice Girls) is 42. Actor Jason O’Mara (“Life on Mars”) is 42. Actress Vera Farmiga is 41. Singer Travis McCoy of Gym Class Heroes is 33. Bassist Eric Roberts of Gym Class Heroes is 30.

Aug. 7: Writer-producer-humorist Stan Freberg is 88. Humorist Garrison Keillor is 72. Singer B.J. Thomas is 72. Singer Harold Hudson of The Commodores is 65. Country singer Rodney Crowell is 64. Actor Wayne Knight is 59. Singer Bruce Dickinson of Iron Maiden is 56. Actor David Duchovny is 54. Actor Harold Perrineau (“Lost,” ”Oz”) is 51. Country singer Raul Malo of The Mavericks is 49. Actress Charlize Theron is 39. Drummer Barry Kerch of Shinedown is 38.

Aug. 8: Country singer Mel Tillis is 82. Actor Dustin Hoffman is 77. Actress Connie Stevens is 76. Country singer Phil Balsley of The Statler Brothers is 75. Actor Larry Wilcox (“CHiPS”) is 67. Actor Keith Carradine is 65. Country singer Jamie O’Hara is 64. Keyboardist Dennis Drew of 10,000 Maniacs is 57. Guitarist The Edge of U2 is 53. Drummer Rikki Rockett of Poison is 53. Rapper Kool Moe Dee is 52. Singer Scott Stapp of Creed is 41. Country singer Mark Wills is 41. Guitarist Tom Linton of Jimmy Eat World is 39. Singer J.C. Chasez of ‘N Sync is 38. Singer Drew Lachey of 98 Degrees is 38. Singer Marsha Ambrosius (Floetry) is 37. Actress Lindsay Sloane (“Sabrina the Teenage Witch”) is 37. Countess Vaughn (“The Parkers,” ”Moesha”) is 36. Actor Michael Urie (“Ugly Betty”) is 34. Actress Meagan Good (“Think Like a Man”) is 33.

Aug. 9: Comedian-director David Steinberg is 72. Actor Sam Elliott is 70. Singer Barbara Mason is 67. Actress Melanie Griffith is 57. Actress Amanda Bearse (“Married … With Children”) is 56. Rapper Kurtis Blow is 55. “Today” co-host Hoda Kotb is 50. Actress Gillian Anderson is 46. Actor Eric Bana is 46. Actor Thomas Lennon (“Reno 911!”) is 44. Bassist Arion Salazar (Third Eye Blind) is 44. Rapper Mack 10 is 43. Actress Anna Kendrick is 29.

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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