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Female official hopes to break NFL barrier

By WTOP Staff

TOM WITHERS
AP Sports Writer

BEREA, Ohio (AP) — Sarah Thomas starts the day at her second job by tucking her long blond hair inside her cap, so she doesn’t get noticed.

On a football field, that’s impossible.

Thomas doesn’t consider herself a pioneer, just “one of the guys.” But as one of two female officials in the NFL’s officiating development program, Thomas has a chance to break barriers in a male-dominated profession.

This week, Thomas, a former college basketball player, current college official and mother of three whose full-time job is as pharmaceutical sales representative, worked with a crew of officials during Browns mini-camp. Like the players, she worked on improving her skills and honing her craft.

One day, she hopes to be on the field with the pros. But not because of her gender.

“I am a female, but I don’t look at myself as just a female,” she said. “I look at myself as an official.”

Thomas began her officiating career in 1996, when an NFL scout spotted her working a high school game. From there, she joined Conference USA and was invited to join the NFL’s developmental program, now in its second year. Thomas worked some training camps and preseason games last season.

The next step is a regular-season game, and the earliest that can happen is 2015.

It’s not her call, so to speak, but Thomas believes she’s ready.

If this week was any indication, Thomas could be on her way.

“She’s done a good job,” Browns coach Mike Pettine said after practice Thursday. Pettine believes it’s time for the league to welcome female officials.

“If she’s efficient and good at what she does, I have no issues with it,” Pettine said. “I think the best compliment somebody paid to her was when someone said, ‘What did you think of the female official?’ And they said, ‘There’s a female official out here?’ I thought she was on point.”

Browns cornerback Joe Haden joked that Thomas was a little whistle happy.

“She was calling everything,” Haden said, smiling. “I couldn’t snap on her. I was chilling.”

Thomas said her goal is to blend in. She doesn’t want to stand out because of her sex — or worse, because she’s not competent. She’s dedicated to being a solid, fair and mostly unseen, which is why she pulls her hair up under her cap. Still, sometimes players do a double take when they see her on the field.

“I think sometimes they go ‘What is that?'” she said. “Yes, I do tuck my hair and at first I really wasn’t too sure why. But I get it. We don’t want to be noticed and anything I can do to blend in — I like it when I leave the field and people go ‘I told you that was a girl.'”

Thomas has two boys and an 18-month-old girl. She said her sons are most interested in her nabbing some NFL attire or autographs, “I can’t do that,” she said.

Her children have never thought about their mom being anything other than an official, so they don’t really grasp that she could make history as the NFL’s first female official.

“They just know mom officiates and it’s nothing foreign to them or pioneering or anything,” she said. “I do this.”

___

AP NFL website www.pro32.ap.org

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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