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Tinkle formally introduced at Oregon State

By WTOP Staff

ANNE M. PETERSON
AP Sports Writer

Wayne Tinkle promises to emphasize effort and attitude as Oregon State’s basketball coach.

Tinkle comes to the Beavers from Montana, where he took the Grizzlies to the NCAA tournament three times during his eight years with the team. Montana finished below .500 only once during his tenure at his alma mater.

The 48-year-old Tinkle was announced as head coach Monday night, and the school held a news conference Wednesday night to introduce him.

“We are going to make Oregon State relevant again,” he said.

Tinkle replaces Craig Robinson, brother-in-law of President Barack Obama, after he was fired earlier this month following six seasons with the Beavers where he failed to make the NCAA tournament.

The once-proud Beavers have not been to the NCAA tournament since 1990.

Tinkle went 158-91 with the Grizzlies, compiling the second-most victories in school history. The only slight on his resume at Montana was an inability to get an NCAA tournament victory, something the Grizzlies have not had since beating Nevada in the first round in 2006.

Montana has a history of producing successful coaches, including Jud Heathcote, Mike Montgomery and Larry Krystkowiak. Heathcote went from Montana to Michigan State; Montgomery went to Stanford; and Krystkowiak left Montana for the NBA before ending up at Utah and starting to turn around the Utes last season.

Tinkle, who played at Montana, was an assistant under Krystkowiak and often draws comparisons to him.

He said he has had several opportunities in past years to leave the Grizzlies, but didn’t find a good fit.

As he did at Montana, Tinkle said he will emphasize “character, discipline, toughness and togetherness.”

“You’ll hear those words spoken often, and there is no compromise,” he said.

Robinson was unexpectedly fired May 5, a little more than a month after athletic director Bob De Carolis announced that Michelle Obama’s older brother would return for a seventh season as basketball coach.

Robinson went 94-105 overall — and 39-69 in the Pac-12 — with Oregon State after spending two seasons as Brown’s head coach. The Beavers made the postseason four times under Robinson but all were appearances in the lower-tier College Basketball Invitational.

Oregon State was 16-16 overall and 8-10 in the Pac-12 this past season, and was bounced in the first round of the CBI by Radford.

De Carolis said Oregon State needed a “new direction and a new leader to take us there.”

“Today is about a fresh start,” De Carolis said.

Tinkle will face a challenge with the Beavers roster decimated by graduation and transfers. Oregon State has no returning starters in 2014-15 after Eric Moreland declared early for the NBA draft, Hallice Cooke decided to transfer and Challe Barton left to play professionally overseas. Leading scorer Roberto Nelson, Devon Collier and Angus Brandt were seniors last season and won’t be back, either.

Cooke announced on Monday that he will play at Iowa State.

Tinkle said he has already spoken to the team and has reached out to recruits Chai Baker and Gary Payton II, son of Oregon State great Gary Payton.

Tinkle has already told the team that they will all attend summer school at Oregon State, to help the players get a jump on academics before the season. He had the same program at Montana.

Oregon State went to the NCAA tournament eight times between 1980-90, including renowned coach Ralph Miller’s Orange Express team in 1981 that went 26-2.

Tinkle, who is Oregon State’s 21st basketball coach, says he will teach his player about the Beavers’ history.

“We need to familiarize our team with the glory years,” he said. “They need to know who was here and what they did in the good years.”

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
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