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Arc Light Contest Rules

By WTOP Staff

ArcLight Bethesda Movie Ticket Sweepstakes
Official Rules

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. A PURCHASE OR PAYMENT OF ANY KIND WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING.

1. Dates of Sweepstakes: Sweepstakes will begin on November 24th, 2014 at 12:00:00 am EST and end at 11:59:00 pm EST on December 5, 2014 (“Entry Period”).

2. Eligibility: The Sweepstakes is open to legal residents of Maryland and the District of Columbia who are 18 years of age or older at the time of entry. Officers, directors and employees of ArcLight Cinemas (“Sponsor”), Mission Control LLC, WTOP Radio Station and their respective parents, subsidiaries, affiliates, retailers and advertising and promotion agencies, and each of their immediate family members (spouse, parent, child or sibling, and their respective spouses, regardless of where they reside) and individuals living in the same households of each of these individuals, whether or not related, are not eligible to enter the Sweepstakes or win a prize. Sweepstakes is subject to all applicable federal, state and local laws. Void where prohibited. By participating in the Sweepstakes, each entrant unconditionally accepts and agrees to comply with and abide by these Official Rules and the decisions of Sponsor, which shall be final and binding in all respects.

3. How to Enter: During the Entry Period, visit WTOP.com, and locate the ArcLight Contest Page. Then, complete and submit the entry form with all requested information (including your name, email address, phone number, address, date of birth, and/or any other information requested by Sponsor) to receive one (1) entry into the Sweepstakes. Limit: One (1) entry per person/email address/household during the Sweepstakes Period. Entries must contain all information requested and comply with all Content submission requirements set forth herein to be valid.

Entries are subject to any applicable restrictions or requirements listed herein. The Sponsor is not responsible for entries not received due to difficulty accessing the internet, service outage or delays, computer difficulties and other technological problems. The Released Parties (as defined below) are not responsible for lost, late, undeliverable, illegible, damaged, stolen, garbled, delayed, misdirected, mutilated, or incomplete entries or communications, regardless of cause. Multiple entrants are not permitted to share the same email address. Should multiple users of the same e-mail account or mobile phone number, as applicable, enter the Sweepstakes and a dispute thereafter arise regarding the identity of the entrant, the authorized account holder of said e-mail account or mobile phone account at the time of entry will be considered the entrant. “Authorized account holder” is defined as the natural person who is assigned an e-mail address or mobile phone number by an Internet access provider, on-line service provider, telephone service provider or other organization which is responsible for assigning e-mail addresses, phone numbers or the domain associated with the submitted e-mail address. Proof of submission of an entry shall not be deemed proof of submission or receipt by the Sponsor for online entries. When applicable, the Sponsor’s computer will be deemed the official time keeping device for the Sweepstakes. Entries will be disqualified if found to be incomplete and/or if prohibited multiple entries are determined. Incomplete or entries in excess of the above stated limit will be declared ineligible. All entries become the property of Sponsor and will not be receipt acknowledged or returned. Sponsor’s decisions as to the administration and operation of the Sweepstakes and the selection of potential winners are final and binding in all matters related to the Sweepstakes.

4. Random Drawing/Winner Selection: On or about December 09, 2014, WTOP will randomly select eighty (80) Sweepstakes winners from among all eligible entries collectively received during the Sweepstakes Period. Odds of winning a prize depend on the number of eligible entries received.

By participating, you agree (a) to be bound by these Official Rules; (b) as between you and the Sponsor, that the decisions of the Sponsor is final on all matters relating to the Sweepstakes; (c) you are not participating on behalf of any employer or third party; (d) in the event that you do not comply with these rules, that you will be disqualified and your prize (if any) will be forfeited; and (e) (when applicable) the potential winner and/or finalist must be available to participate in any portion to the Sweepstakes that participation may be required to be considered eligible.

Potential winner(s) is subject to verification, including verification of eligibility. If an entrant is unable to verify his/her information, the entrant will automatically be disqualified and their prize, if any, will be forfeited. The Sponsor reserves at its sole discretion the right to not award the prize or to determine an alternate winner or finalist (if applicable) in accordance with the official rules in the event that that any winner or finalist has been disqualified, cannot be contacted, or is deemed ineligible for any reason, or is not available to participate in any applicable Sweepstakes events.

The potential winner will be notified by e-mail at the e-mail address provided during registration. ON OR AFTER DECEMBER 08, 2014, THE SPONSOR WILL EMAIL THE POTENTIAL WINNERS PRIZE REDEMPTION INSTRUCTIONS. Notification is deemed to have occurred immediately upon sending an e-mail. The Sponsor is not responsible for any change of email address, mailing address, and/or telephone number of entrants. The Sponsor is not obligated to, and will not, leave a voice mail, answering machine or other messages. The Sweepstakes Entities are not responsible for and shall not be liable for late, misdirected or unsuccessful efforts to notify a finalist and/or potential winners, or (if the finalist or potential winner is a minor) for late, misdirected, or unsuccessful efforts of the entrant to provide signed parental or guardian consent. If the potential winner does not claim the prize within the appropriate time given upon, the entrant will automatically be disqualified and their prize will be forfeited.

5. Prize Description/Approximate Retail Value:
Prizes: Two (2) adult movie tickets to ArcLight Cinemas’ Bethesda location valid till January 31, 2015
Total Prizes: 80
All prizes provided by: ArcLight Cinemas
Total Approximate Retail Value (“ARV”): $27.50. Actual Prize Value may vary.

Conditions and restrictions may apply. Limit: One (1) prize per person/household for this Sweepstakes. Winner(s) and winner’s household members cannot have won a prize through any Sponsor promotion in the thirty (30) days prior to this Sweepstakes start date. ALL PRIZES ARE AWARDED “AS IS” AND THE SPONSOR DOES NOT MAKE (AND IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR) ANY REPRESENTATIONS, GUARANTEES, OR WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IN FACT OR IN LAW, RELATING TO ANY PRIZE (INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, ANY IMPLIED WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE), AND ALL SUCH WARRANTIES ARE HEREBY DISCLAIMED.

6. Prize Conditions: All prize details are at the sole discretion of the Sponsor. No substitution, cash equivalent or transfer of prizes (or portion thereof) permitted by winners. Sponsor reserves the right to substitute a prize (or portion thereof) with one of comparable or greater value, at its sole discretion. All federal, state, and local taxes, the reporting consequences thereof and all costs and expenses related to the acceptance and use of the prizes not specified herein as being provided are the sole responsibility of the winners. Prizes will be awarded “as is” with no warranty or guarantee, either expressed or implied by Sponsor.

7. General: By participating, participants agree (a) to be bound by these Official Rules and the decisions of the Sponsor, which are final and binding in all matters; and (b) that Sponsor, Mission Control LLC, WTOP and their respective parents, affiliates, subsidiaries, retailers, distributors, suppliers, advertising and promotion agencies, and any other individuals engaged in any way in the development, production, printing, distribution or execution of this Sweepstakes, and the respective directors, officers, and employees of the foregoing (all such individuals and entities collectively referred to herein as the “Released Parties”) (1) shall not be responsible or liable for, and are hereby released from , any and all costs, injuries, losses or damages of any kind, including, without limitation, death and bodily injury, due in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, to participation in the Sweepstakes or any Sweepstakes activity, or from entrants’ acceptance, receipt, possession and/or use or misuse of any prize, and (2) have not made any warranty, representation or guarantee express or implied, in fact or in law, with respect to any prize, including, without limitation, to such prize’s quality or fitness for a particular purpose. Released Parties are not responsible for any other errors or problems of any kind, whether printing, seeding, typographical, technical, human or otherwise, relating to or in connection with this Sweepstakes, including, without limitation, errors, malfunctions or problems which may occur in connection with the administration of the Sweepstakes, the announcement of the prizes, prize claims or entries or in any Sweepstakes -related materials. You are not a Sweepstakes prize winner until your eligibility has been verified, and it is determined that you have complied with all terms of these Official Rules. Sponsor reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to modify, extend, suspend or terminate this Sweepstakes (or any portion thereof), should any technical failures, unauthorized human intervention or other causes corrupt or affect the administration, security, fairness or proper conduct of the Sweepstakes. Sponsor reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to disqualify any entrant from this Sweepstakes or any other Sweepstakes conducted now or in the future by Sponsor or any of its affiliates if entrant’s fraud or misconduct affects the integrity of the Sweepstakes or entrant is otherwise in violation of these Official Rules, as determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion. ANY ATTEMPT BY AN INDIVIDUAL TO DELIBERATELY DAMAGE OR UNDERMINE THE LEGITIMATE OPERATION OF THIS SWEEPSTAKES IS A VIOLATION OF CRIMINAL AND CIVIL LAWS, AND SHOULD SUCH AN ATTEMPT BE MADE, SPONSOR RESERVES THE RIGHT TO SEEK DAMAGES AND OTHER REMEDIES (INCLUDING ATTORNEYS’ FEES) FROM ANY SUCH INDIVIDUAL TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW. By participating, entrants agree that all issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, or the rights and obligations of the Sponsor in connection with the Sweepstakes, shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of California, without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law rules. By participating, entrants consent to the jurisdiction and venue of the federal, state and local courts located in Los Angeles, California. Any failure to enforce any term, condition or provision of these Official Rules shall not constitute a waiver of such term, condition or provision.

8. Winners’ List: For any legally required winner’s list, send a self-addressed stamped envelope to be received by December 31, 2014, to: ArcLight Bethesda Movie Ticket Sweepstakes, c/o Mission Control LLC, 21324 San Miguel St., Woodland Hills, CA 91364

9. Sponsor: ArcLight Cinemas, 120 N. Robertson Blvd., 3rd Fl, Los Angeles, CA 90048

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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