Skip to main content

White House honor comes as vet’s business totters

By WTOP Staff

EMERY P. DALESIO
Associated Press

DURHAM, N.C. (AP) — After a decade of being fired or quitting jobs in his struggle to adjust to civilian life, former Marine Corps sniper Matt Victoriano started his own coffee shop, vowing to employ struggling vets like himself.

But even as he headed to Washington on Tuesday to be honored at the White House for his entrepreneurial drive, Victoriano was preparing to close his 7-month-old business, a testament to the difficulty of being a small business owner — especially one with a mission.

“I’ll tell them the way it is. I’ll plan on telling the truth,” he said while driving toward the capital. “It isn’t going to go over too well in Washington.”

Victoriano is one of 10 veterans or their supporters being honored as “Champions of Change” for “continuing to serve our country through their successful small businesses and nonprofits that create jobs, spur economic growth, and help their communities,” the White House said in a news release. Vice President Joe Biden’s wife, Jill Biden, is scheduled to speak at the Wednesday ceremony.

But the survival of Intrepid Life Coffee & Spirits will put to the test the motto of “improvise, adapt, overcome” that Victoriano learned in the Marines.

Victoriano said he opened the veteran-friendly coffee shop, which also hosts bands and sells alcohol, by borrowing a little money from family and loading up debt on his credit cards. The venue, in the downtown of this former cigarette-manufacturing city, sits in a newly renovated, street-level space with high ceilings. Patrons can walk in and park their bicycles just inside the front door, then squeeze out a set of chin-ups on the overhead bar before ordering drinks.

It gained immediate media attention both for its style and its mission.

But business struggles set in. Victoriano said he didn’t do enough marketing and revenue crashed this summer. His mission of employing as many veterans as possible, who “all have their own issues,” made things worse.

“It’s been a struggle training them and working with them,” said Victoriano, adding that they’ve coped with the same trials returning from combat as he did. “Sometimes they just won’t show up, they’ll be late or they’ll just disappear and not communicate.”

Victoriano announced two weeks ago that the business was closing and had to empty the space by Sept. 7.

Then he issued an online appeal for $27,000 by Sept. 6 so the business could catch up on overdue rent and make improvements, the appeal said. By Tuesday, donations had hit 25 percent of the goal. Victoriano said he’d take none of it if the target wasn’t reached.

Building owner Aaron Averill said he wasn’t sure how the White House honor would affect the coffee house’s future.

“To the extent that any publicity would help his business be successful, that would be great. I don’t really know how that factors in. That’s a great honor obviously, recognizing his courage to go do this in the business world,” Averill said. “I don’t know how that affects the bottom line of a retail business.”

___

Emery Dalesio can be reached at http://twitter.com/emerydalesio

___

Associated Press writer Jonathan Drew contributed to this report.

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
Read Next Story

Related News

Frustration grows in Venezuela as earthquake death toll reaches 1,430

Israel and Lebanon sign framework agreement with US in ‘first step’ toward peace, Rubio says

Trump-endorsed populist poised to become Colombia’s next president as rival challenges vote