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Platini criticizes FIFA over luxury watch probe

By WTOP Staff

ROB HARRIS
AP Sports Writer

GENEVA (AP) — UEFA President Michel Platini denounced FIFA’s handling over a luxury gifts controversy on Friday and world football’s governing body then disclosed it spent at least $140,000 on watches for officials at the World Cup.

Platini was angered by FIFA publicly rebuking football officials who accepted gifts at the World Cup, saying he will donate about $27,000 to charity rather than return the Parmigiani watch given to him by the Brazilian federation.

On Thursday, FIFA told officials they had until next month to return the Brazilian football confederation watch or face ethics proceedings for accepting a gift that had more than a “symbolic or trivial value.”

Platini, one of FIFA President Sepp Blatter’s biggest critics, questioned why the governing body is only now making an issue out of the Parmigiani watches.

“I was very surprised by the FIFA press release. I think that the best thing would have been to call us, to say that the ethics committee has done so-and-so and they’re not pleased,” Platini said through a translator. “But if the ethics committee was not pleased, they should have told us that four months ago in Brazil, when we received the watches.

“They were aware that we were receiving these watches because everybody received them.”

Then, in response to questions from The Associated Press on Friday, FIFA said it had spent around $143,200 on Longines watches for delegates attending its congress in June on the eve of the World Cup. FIFA hasn’t detailed spending on other gifts in Brazil.

“During the 64th Congress FIFA distributed as a gift a Longines watch for all 750 delegates,” FIFA said in a statement to the AP. “The watches were purchased by FIFA from Longines, who FIFA has no commercial relation with, for the face value of 180 Swiss francs ($191). This is within the provisions stipulated in the FIFA Code of Ethics.”

FIFA has previously disclosed that Secretary General Jerome Valcke’s wish to provide members of the 28-strong executive committee with two Hublot watches was rebuffed because they would have breached of FIFA’s ethics and compensation policies.

But the Brazilian confederation distributed the Parmigiani watches to the 28 FIFA executive committee members, an official with each of the 32 teams, and members of the South American soccer confederation.

When asked if Blatter had returned his watch, FIFA responded: “Please understand that we cannot communicate about individuals.”

Platini, who is also a FIFA vice president, said he was unaware his Parmigiani watch was worth as much as 25,000 Swiss francs ($26,600), and maintained that such gifts were common practice in the football world.

“We all receive watches. I’ve received several,” Platini said, wearing another watch that had been a gift. “But I was surprised on the one hand to see the value of the watch.”

FIFA demanded that the Parmigiani watches be returned by Oct. 24 to avoid disciplinary action. FIFA said they will be donated to charity.

“I’m a well-educated person. I don’t return gifts,” Platini said. “I’m going to ask for the value of this watch and I’m going to give to a charitable organization, a foundation, this value.”

___

Rob Harris can be followed at www.twitter.com/RobHarris

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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