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Montoya ready for return to NASCAR

By WTOP Staff

NOAH TRISTER
AP Sports Writer

BROOKLYN, Mich. (AP) — Juan Pablo Montoya is ready for his abbreviated return to Sprint Cup racing.

Montoya will be in the No. 12 Ford for Sunday’s 400-mile race at Michigan International Speedway, his first Cup race since moving back to IndyCar after last season. Montoya’s last win in NASCAR was in 2010, a year after he made the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship and finished a career-best eighth in the standings. This weekend’s race is in some ways a tuneup for next month’s Brickyard 400, another NASCAR event Montoya added to his full-time IndyCar schedule.

“Our goal here, I think, is we’ll take it as it comes this weekend,” Montoya said. “But the way we really look at it is it’s really good preparation for the Brickyard.”

Montoya is one of the world’s most decorated drivers, with an Indianapolis 500 victory and wins in Formula One, NASCAR and the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona. He left Formula One for NASCAR in 2006.

Montoya returned to open-wheel racing this year to drive for Roger Penske, the IndyCar Series rival of Montoya’s longtime boss, Chip Ganassi. Montoya is seventh in the IndyCar standings and finished third last weekend at Texas Motor Speedway.

Now he’s hoping for a strong showing for Penske on the NASCAR side, even if this isn’t his full-time focus anymore.

“With Chip we had good years, bad years, good races, bad — we had everything,” Montoya said. “The way Team Penske is running right now, they look like every week they have a shot at winning, so if we do a good job here and we have a decent race we’ll easily get a top 10, and if I’m really comfortable in the car we could even look at a win.”

Montoya had eight top-10 finishes in 36 Cup starts last year. He’s made 14 Cup starts at MIS, finishing as high as sixth in 2009.

Penske’s other two drivers in Sunday’s race — Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano — are fifth and ninth in the Cup standings. Montoya isn’t competing for that title, but both he and his owner would love a good showing at the Brickyard in July.

Montoya is in position to become the first driver to start three feature races at Indy in the same season. He finished 16th in the inaugural Grand Prix of Indianapolis on May 10, then placed fifth in the Indianapolis 500.

Montoya was 28th in qualifying at Michigan on Friday. Ford has won the last three Cup races at MIS. Logano took last year’s August race, and Greg Biffle took the two before that.

“This is probably one of the best tracks for the Fords,” Montoya said. “They always excel here and have a car that can win, and the way Team Penske is running right now, if it clicks from the beginning, and we hope it does, we might have a shot at winning this. And then going to the Brickyard, is a place that I run really well.”

Montoya raced in Michigan recently, finishing 13th in the June 1 IndyCar race at Belle Isle. At MIS on Friday, Montoya joked that he got away with blocking during that race. He was asked if some of the familiar faces in NASCAR might be a bit less sensitive about that sort of thing.

“If you think about every series I’ve done, the longest series I’ve been in, in my career, was NASCAR,” Montoya said. “I was in Formula One for six years and I was here for seven. In IndyCar I’ve only been there for two-and-a-half. So I know the game here — and it’s fun knowing that you’re not doing the whole 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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