Skip to main content

New Belgian center-right government sworn in

By WTOP Staff

RAF CASERT
Associated Press

BRUSSELS (AP) — Belgium’s King Philippe swore in a center-right government under the leadership of Francophone free-market liberal Charles Michel on Saturday, ending a four-month deadlock.

Despite an overwhelming victory of the Dutch-speaking N-VA nationalists, the party allowed a French-speaker to lead the linguistically divided nation for the second time in a row. The four-party coalition will back the business-friendly policies that N-VA leader Bart De Wever has long pushed in the face of the former socialist-led government.

Three parties from Dutch-speaking Flanders and Michel’s francophone liberal party, MR, took until Friday to divvy up the portfolios with the foreign affairs post staying with MR veteran Didier Reynders.

With the socialists sidelined, the government will be looking for austerity measures and some 8 billion euros to reach a balanced budget by 2018. At the same time, they will be looking to lower some taxes and raise the pension age from 65 to 67 by 2030.

De Wever, who decided to remain mayor of the port city Antwerp instead of joining the government, is seen by many as the real leader of the government coalition. Jokingly, some say the government seat is Antwerp city hall and in one popular cartoon Michel is portrayed as a speaking puppet held by De Wever.

“The Michel government is my ideal coalition,” De Wever told Saturday’s edition of De Tijd. The government will center on the economic recovery from the crisis and two key N-VA issues — more linguistic autonomy and its opposition to the monarchy — have been put on the back burner.

Outgoing Prime Minister Elio Di Rupo has vowed to lead opposition to the policies and has already received strong backing from trade union leaders.

The rise of Michel is surprising since the May 25 elections yielded a big victory for the right-wing N-VA party in northern Flanders, where 6.5 million of the nation’s 11 million citizens live. If the deal goes through, he will become the first liberal francophone premier in over half a century.

Though the coalition talks took over four months, that fell far short of the record 541 days of stalemate following the previous elections.

___

Raf Casert can be followed on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/rcasert

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 This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.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