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Greenbelt city council votes no on cell towers on school property

By WTOP Staff

WASHINGTON — Can’t get a decent cell phone signal in parts of Greenbelt?

It could be due to the scarcity of cell phone towers in the municipality but
council member Rodney Roberts doesn’t mind.

“Our civilization lived a long, long time, and survived quite well without
cell phones.”

When it comes to having cell phone reception, Roberts said, “It’s not a
requirement of life.”

On Monday, the members of the Greenbelt City Council voted to make their
feelings on putting cell towers on school properties clear: They are opposed.
And they’re not alone.

Groups from Anne Arundel, Montgomery and Prince George’s counties have formed
to prevent the construction of cell towers near schools.

The council voted to draft letters to the Prince George’s County board of
education and Superintendent Dr. Kevin Maxwell asking for greater transparency
on the site selection for cell towers in the city of Greenbelt.

As the members hashed about the language of their proposal, council member
Edward Putens said, “I want to know if there’s any plans or any leases or
anything that has to do with a Greenbelt school.”

A contract to construct cell towers on as many as 70 public school properties
was approved in 2011, when the Prince George’s County schools partnered with
Milestone Communications, but Greenbelt council members say there was little
to no transparency or opportunity for public input.

Council members say they’re aware that there’s no hard evidence linking cell
towers to health threats like cancer, but say that there’s enough question to
merit concern. And council member Judith Davis said there are plenty of other
issues that give rise to concern, including the need to build roads on school
property to allow for frequent maintenance.

“Unauthorized personnel would have access to school grounds, and then if the
tower were to fall in extreme weather: those are all good points of not having
[a cell tower] in an area where there are kids.”

The contracts that allow for the cell towers on school property could generate
up to $2.5 million dollars system- wide, but the members of the Greenbelt
council said when it comes to putting cell towers on schools in their city:
they’d remain opposed.

Milestone put out an FAQ on their
agreements with Prince George’s County Public Schools.

WTOP’s Kate Ryan contributed to this report.

Follow @WTOP on Twitter and WTOP on Facebook.

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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