The DA 02-07-2014

Page 1

THE DAILY ATHENAEUM

“Little good is accomplished without controversy, and no civic evil is ever defeated without publicity.”

da

Friday February 7, 2014

Counselors assist with health care insurance apps in Morgantown by laura haight staff writer @dailyathenaeum

The deadline to apply for health insurance through the Affordable Care Act is coming up, and certified application counselors will be at the Morgantown Public Library each Friday from now until the March 31 deadline from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. to answer questions. These counselors will be available to work oneon-one with anyone who would like free help with the online application. The Affordable Care Act came into effect Jan. 1, with the deadline for open enrollment on March 31. Insurance companies can no longer deny health insurance to individuals based on preexisting conditions, and they cannot charge higher premiums due to these conditions. The act also expanded Medicaid, which is free government health insurance. Any person who makes less than $15,856 per year qualifies for Medicaid and will not have to pay monthly premiums.

Volume 126, Issue 92

www.THEDAONLINE.com

ROCK CHALK ROAD TRIP WVU vs. NO. 8 KANSAS

WHEN: Saturday at 4 p.m. WHERE: Allen Field House , Lawrence, Kansas WATCH IT LIVE: ESPN

Brandon Williams, a certified application counselor, said these sessions have been helpful for applicants. “There’s some type of glitch in the online program right now that’s not correctly determining what (some low-income) individuals qualify for,” Williams said. Williams said he has been working to identify the glitch and help the applicants get the correct premium. The Obama administration has kept the March deadline even though many people had problems with the website. “A lot of people are speaking negatively about that because (the Obama administration) came out and said they knew there was a problem with the website … but they’re not taking any means to change that deadline,” Williams said. Williams said his role is to get people through the process as smoothly as possible. “We’re also here to alleviate these negative comments and shed a

see ACA on PAGE 2

SALA successful in Charleston legislature by caroline peters staff writer @dailyathenaeum

West Virginia University students stood before the legislature earlier this week. Student Advocates for Legislative Advancement spoke to delegates Tuesday at the state’s capital in Charleston, W.Va. “I was very pleased,” said Kristen Pennington, SALA’s chairwoman. “Despite the unbelievably adverse weather, it was still quite a turnout, and I’m very grateful for the 25 students that came. We had very positive responses from the legislators. I couldn’t be happier with how we represented our school and state.” SALA entered the capitol building with a mission. The organized group wrote a resolution and a bill, which they planned to present to the legislators. Senate Concurrent Resolution 18, which seeks to put a cap on tuition rates, gained support from several legislators. Senator Roman Prezioso, a democrat and chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, promotes the resolution.

“The resolution is something we want to make people aware of and having the support that the resolution has in the Senate sends a pure message,” Prezioso said. “The next time government or legislature looks into any budget cuts, (we should) be very concerned about what we are doing to higher education.” Pennington said she was grateful to have the support of Prezioso. “We got a lot of positive responses. The fact that our lead sponsor, Prezioso, currently works for the budget is positive. I asked what else we could do to bring this home, and he said, ‘You’d be surprised at how much influence this resolution has already been,’” Pennington said. “Although there is always more work to do, it’s a big leap in the right direction.” Prezioso was not the only big name that showed support for SCR 18. Republican Senator Evan Jenkins also offered the student advocates positive feedback on their resolution. “What I’ve seen in

see SALA on PAGE 2

27° / 17°

MEGGINGS

INSIDE

Leggings may not just be for girls. A&E PAGE 8

PARTLY CLOUDY

News: 1, 2, 3 Opinion: 4 A&E: 6, 7, 8 Sports: 9, 10, 12 Campus Calendar: 5 Puzzles: 5 Classifieds: 11

FILE PHOTO

FAFSA deadline approaches, WVU offers workshop to help by evelyn merithew staff writer @dailyathenaeum

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid priority deadline is just around the corner, and College Goal Sunday is here to help students and parents fill out FAFSA forms. West Virginia University students are invited and encouraged to attend a free professional assistance workshop for help with filing for financial aid Sunday 1-4 p.m. in Woodburn Hall. “College Goal Sunday is a free financial aid workshop that is hosted by the College Foundation of West Virginia,” said Nicole Solomon, a financial aid counselor at WVU. “We host it here at WVU, and it is funded by CFWV. It’s a workshop where students and parents can come in and have financial aid ex-

perts on hand.” College Goal Sunday started in Indiana in 1989, and West Virginia started the program in 2010. It’s a nationwide workshop, but not every state participates in it, according to Soloman. There are 25 locations across West Virginia that will be hosting the workshop. “FAFSA is a government form, so occasionally you run across a question where you don’t know what they’re asking you,” Soloman said. “This workshop will have someone right on hand where they can answer your questions. It makes the process a little clearer.” Students and families who wish to attend should bring a driver’s license, both the student’s and parent’s Social Security numbers, 2013 tax records, 2013 untaxed income records and in-

CHECK US OUT ON ISSUU In addition to our print coverage, The Daily Athenaeum posts version of its print edition on http://issuu.com/dailyathenaeum

CONTACT US Newsroom 304-293-5092 or DAnewsroom@mail.wvu.edu Advertising 304-293-4141 or DA-Ads@mail.wvu.edu Classifieds 304-293-4141 or DA-Classifieds@mail.wvu.edu Fax 304-293-6857

EDITORIAL What do the Winter Olympics really represent? OPINION PAGE 4

IF YOU GO WHERE: Woodburn Hall, first floor WHEN: Sunday, 1-4 p.m. WHO: Students and parents formation about investments and bank account balances. The program is open to everyone, and participants do not have to attend WVU to take advantage of the assistance. “It has nothing to do with WVU. You just go to the location that is closest to you,” Soloman said. “You can come to the WVU location even if you go to Fairmont State or Marshall.” Last year, there were more than 1,800 students who attended the workshops across the state, and almost 1,000 FAFSA forms were completed. A Kindle will be given away to one of the participants who attend the

workshop Sunday. The priority deadline for the FAFSA is March 1. Solomon said taking advantage of this workshop is important for students who want to meet the priority deadline and receive other financial aid opportunities. “If you complete it after, you don’t get federal work study, the SEOG Grant is knocked off and so is the Federal Perkins Loan,” Soloman said. “Technically, you could fill out the form in August, but in order for students to get the best possible aid package they are eligible for, they should make sure they get it done before the priority deadline.” For more information on College Goal Sunday, visit http://collegegoalsundayusa.org/Pages/default.aspx. danewsroom@mail.wvu.edu

WILDCAT TIME The No. 17 WVU women’s basketball team will take on Kansas State Saturday at 2 p.m. SPORTS PAGE 9

A P P LY O N L I N E T O DAY

NEW ON-CAMPUS STUDENT HOUSING opening fall 2014

COLLEGEPARK.WVU.EDU


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.