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D.C. second among metro areas for Peace Corps volunteers

By WTOP Staff

WASHINGTON –They may call the folks in the nation’s capital an egotistic bunch, but for a population driven by politics and power, they live in one of the top metro areas in the country for Peace Corps volunteers.

Volunteerism is slightly down overall in the U.S, according to a new study by the Corporation for National and Community Service’s annual “Volunteering and Civic Life in America Report.”

The report says 62.6 million Americans volunteered for nearly 7.7 billion hours, down from 64.5 million Americans volunteering nearly 7.9 billion hours last year.

But according to the Peace Corps’ annual count, the District came in second among states with the most Peace Corps volunteers per capita (per 100,000 residents); and the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria metro region also came in second among top volunteering metro areas in 2014.

Vermont emerged as the top Peace Corps state per capita, while the New York-Newark-New Jersey tops the list of metro areas.

“Peace Corps volunteers promote a better understanding of Americans around the world by sharing their unique hometown perspective during their service,” Peace Corps Director Carrie Hessler-Radelet said in a news release. “As we forge a modern Peace Corps for modern times, we remain committed to building a volunteer force that reflects the rich diversity of our country and doing more to recruit and retain the best and brightest across the U.S.”

The area does not rank as high among other states when it comes to overall volunteering, which was gauged by the “Volunteering and Civic Life in America Report.” In that report, citizens of Utah, Idaho, Minnesota, Kansas and Wisconsin lead the way in volunteerism. Louisiana, New York, Nevada, Florida and Arkansas are at the bottom.

Representatives from southern states complained that the study doesn’t accurately reflect the total volunteering because it does not reflect all the church work their residents do.

“A lot of folks think of church volunteering as a spiritual activity and don’t connect it with volunteerism,” Judd Jeansonne, executive director of government-run Volunteer Louisiana, told USA TODAY. “We’ve conducted our own surveys with a prompt to include church volunteering and it added roughly 10 percent onto our volunteerism rates.”

The report also broke down the age of volunteers, finding that parents of school-aged children are the busiest at volunteering (ages 35 to 44) at 31.3 percent.

The least likely to volunteer are those 20-24, where volunteerism is at 19 percent.

Seniors give the most time, with 92 volunteer hours per year. For other groups, the median is around 50 hours, according to the report.

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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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