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Auburn AD: ‘There’s no place for contentment’

By WTOP Staff

JOHN ZENOR
AP Sports Writer

AUBURN, Ala. (AP) — Auburn athletic director Jay Jacobs watched the football team enjoy a “magical season” in coach Gus Malzahn’s debut and emerge as a likely preseason Top-10 pick this fall.

Jacobs knows repeating that kind of success is no easy task especially in the Southeastern Conference, but nurses high ambitions over the long haul for a program that has won a league-high three SEC football championships over the past decade — and had two head coaches ousted along the way.

“You can never let your foot off the pedal,” Jacobs said Thursday in a wide-ranging interview with The Associated Press. “There’s no place for contentment here. You’ve got to work every day to win championships and not be satisfied where you are today. That’s where Gus is. That’s where these players are.”

That’s where Jacobs is, too. The former Auburn walk-on offensive lineman has committed some $42 million over the next six years to Malzahn and new basketball coach Bruce Pearl.

He said issues on his mind daily this summer include finding ways to facilitate recruiting efforts for all sports and improve gameday experience at a time when the SEC Network’s launch in August gives fans the option to watch even more events from the comforts of home.

Jacobs and Auburn had an eventful year in the most popular — and profitable — sports. Malzahn’s football team won the SEC title and played for a national title against Florida State, losing on a touchdown in the final seconds.

Then Jacobs hired Pearl to lead a basketball program that has been one of the league’s worst in recent seasons while playing in an $87 million, four-year-old arena.

In football, the 2013 season has certainly been good for business. Jacobs said the Tigers have sold more premium seats than ever before leading up to next season, and are looking at adding others in the bowl of the stadium at the same higher rate.

Malzahn’s new $26.85 million deal included a potentially costly buyout. The coach would get $2,237,500 for each year remaining on his contract if he’s fired without cause, more than four times the buyout in his initial deal.

Auburn shelled out $5.1 million to former coach Tommy Tuberville and $7.5 million to Gene Chizik in the past 6-1/2 years after their firings. Like Malzahn, both won SEC titles and Chizik guided Auburn to the 2010 BCS championship.

“It’s what the market bears,” Jacobs said of the buyout. “When you look around the league and look at other buyouts for people that haven’t even played in a national championship game or won an SEC championship in the last 3-5 years, and you compare it, it’s just doing business.”

Auburn has a committee exploring recognizing the 1913, 1983 and 1993 football teams as national champions. Those teams were crowned by some outlet and would join the 1957 and 2010 champions.

“We’re not talking about claiming titles,” Jacobs said. “We’re talking about recognizing titles that have already been bestowed on those teams. The response has been overwhelmingly positive from the Auburn people to recognize those teams that have been deemed as champions by one poll or another, very similar if not identical to what other schools across the nation have done.

“We’ve just been looking at it, thinking about it. We just want to do what’s best for Auburn, not necessarily what everybody in the world thinks.”

Pearl, meanwhile, hasn’t been able to recruit because of an NCAA show cause penalty, but Jacobs said Malzahn and his assistants have met with the prospects on campus. Football assistants have even taken those on official visits to dinner, helping out a program generating more buzz than it’s had in years thanks to Pearl.

“Everybody’s really excited about basketball moving forward,” Jacobs said. “It’ll be difficult for the first couple of years until he gets the kind of players to play his system, but it’ll be fun. I’m looking forward to basketball season.”

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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