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Obama lays out immigration goals, not timing

By WTOP Staff

JIM KUHNHENN
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Leaving his timing uncertain, President Barack Obama laid out ambitious objectives Friday for immigration steps he intends to take on his own and said he had already received some recommendations from the Homeland Security and Justice departments for executive action he could implement without Congress.

Facing competing pressures from immigration advocacy groups and from Democrats nervous about November’s midterm election, Obama made no commitment about whether he would act in the coming weeks as he had earlier pledged.

“My expectation is that fairly soon, I’ll be considering what the next steps are,” he said during a news conference in Wales at the end of a two-day NATO summit.

Still, Obama spelled out his goals with a degree of specificity that he had previously not detailed.

He said that without congressional action to overhaul the immigration system, he would take steps to increase border security, to upgrade the processing of border crossers, to encourage legal immigration and to give immigrants who have been illegally in the United States for some time a path to become legal residents, pay taxes, pay a fine and learn English.

“I want to be very clear: My intention is, in the absence of…action by Congress, I’m going to do what I can do within the legal constraints of my office, because it’s the right thing to do for the country,” he said.

On June 30, Obama said he had directed Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson and Attorney General Eric Holder to give him recommendations for executive action by the end of summer and pledged to “adopt those recommendations without further delay.”

Legal experts and lawmakers have debated the extent of Obama’s authority, and Holder’s and Johnson’s recommendations remain closely held. It’s also unclear how far Obama could go without congressional approval in meeting the goals he delineated Friday.

In 2012, Obama authorized the Homeland Security Department to consider applications to defer deportations for immigrants who had entered the country illegally as children and to give them work permits. Since then, the program has deferred the deportation of more than 580,000 immigrants.

Immigrant advocates say Obama has the authority to allow similar deferrals to potentially millions of other immigrants, beginning with the parents of those young immigrants whose deportations have already been deferred.

The Democratic-led Senate passed a broad overhaul of immigration last year that included boosted border security, more visas for legal immigrants and a path to citizenship for immigrants illegally in the country. But the Republican-controlled House has balked at acting on any broad measure and House Speaker John Boehner informed Obama earlier this year that the House would not act this year.

More recently, the White House has been under pressure from some Democrats to delay any action until after the elections out of fear that taking steps now would energize Republican opposition against vulnerable Senate Democrats. Some have voiced misgivings about Obama acting on his own at all.

“We need to fix our nation’s broken immigration system, which is why I supported the Senate’s bipartisan, comprehensive immigration reform bill,” said Sen. Al Franken, a Democrat seeking re-election In Minnesota. “I have concerns about executive action. This is a job for Congress, and it’s time for the House to act.”

Advocacy groups have countered by stepping up their calls for swift action. In a letter to Obama on Friday, leaders of major pro-immigrant groups called on him to stick to his self-imposed deadline and “not to allow shortsighted political interests to get in the way of doing what is right for our communities and our country.

“Being a leader requires making difficult and courageous decisions,” the letter, whose signers included the National Council of La Raza and the League of United Latin American Citizens, said. “It is your time to lead, Mr. President.”

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On Twitter, follow Jim Kuhnhenn at http://twitter.com/jkuhnhenn and Erica Werner at http://twitter.com/ericawerner

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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