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Judge will make Detroit water decision Monday

By WTOP Staff

ED WHITE
Associated Press

DETROIT (AP) — A lawyer representing poor Detroit residents urged a judge Tuesday to suspend water shutoffs until next spring and order the city to come up with a new way to keep a critical service in place for people who simply can’t afford it.

“Detroit has an endemic poverty issue. … We may not be able to save everybody, but we may be able to keep children and parents in homes with running water,” Alice Jennings said.

Judge Steven Rhodes heard closing arguments after two days of testimony from city officials as well as a handful of people who have no water or on the verge of losing it because of unpaid bills. He’ll make a decision Monday.

The mayor’s chief of staff and representatives from the water department offered details about an August strategy that keeps water flowing if customers put down 10 percent and agree to a two-year payment plan. Residents with very low income could also qualify for aid from a $2 million fund.

“I would say it has been successful,” said Darryl Latimer, the department’s customer service chief.

Daily shutoffs are down 50 percent to 350 to 400, and roughly 30,000 people are enrolled in payment plans, said Alexis Wiley, top aide to Mayor Mike Duggan.

“We’ve reached a huge chunk of people,” Wiley told the judge.

Nearly 22,000 homes lost water from March through August, according to the water department, and 15,251 had service restored in that same period.

Rhodes, who’s overseeing Detroit’s bankruptcy, the largest public filing in U.S. history, has taken extraordinary interest in the plight of water customers. The city stopped shutoffs in July for more than 30 days after the judge said they were causing anger and bad publicity. Protesters marched, and even the United Nations criticized Detroit.

Duggan announced the payment plan a few weeks later, but it hasn’t satisfied everyone. Residents told Rhodes about bathing with bottled water and the humiliation of having a blue line painted on the sidewalk, a sign to utility crews to turn off service.

Latimer warned that people behind in their bills likely would not pay if shutoffs are halted until next spring. He noted, for example, that the department collected $200,000 in overdue bills in August during the brief moratorium, compared with more than $900,000 in July.

“The department has very lean cash reserves,” Chief Financial Officer Nicolette Bateson testified.

The judge asked city attorney Thomas O’Brien during closing arguments if Detroit had a responsibility to residents with chronic money problems.

“There are limits to what they can do,” O’Brien said of the water agency. “That’s the hard reality.”

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Follow Ed White at http://twitter.com/edwhiteap

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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