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Padres plan public tribute to Gwynn on June 26

By WTOP Staff

BERNIE WILSON
AP Sports Writer

SAN DIEGO (AP) — The San Diego Padres have scheduled a public tribute to Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn for June 26 at Petco Park.

Gwynn died of cancer Monday. He was 54.

The tribute will start at 7:19 p.m., symbolic because Gwynn made his Padres debut on July 19, 1982. Gwynn also wore No. 19.

Padres executive chairman Ron Fowler said the tribute will be similar to the one held at Petco Park on Jan. 18 for Hall of Fame broadcaster Jerry Coleman, who died on Jan. 5 at 89.

Fowler said the Padres are finalizing a list of speakers. He said they will include people important to Gwynn’s Padres and San Diego State careers. Gwynn played baseball and basketball at SDSU and had been the school’s baseball coach since just after the 2002 season.

“I’ve lived through his career in San Diego,” Fowler said. “I’ve lived through all the good things Tony has done for the community. I miss him personally. Although I knew he was ill, I was just shocked when I found out that he passed away.

“He’s a special human being and I don’t think we’ll ever have a Padre that will be his equal again,” Fowler said. “That doesn’t mean we’re not going to have great ballplayers, but Tony was once-in-a-lifetime. Arguably the best hitter in the last 50 years of baseball.”

Prior to Wednesday night’s game against Seattle, Padres players and coaches gathered around a large No. 19 painted on the grass in right field, which was Gwynn’s position.

Mark Martinez, Gwynn’s top assistant at San Diego State, threw the ceremonial first pitch to Padres manager Bud Black, who was Gwynn’s teammate with the Aztecs for one season.

The Padres held a 19-second moment of silence for Gwynn.

The Padres are wearing a patch with No. 19 inside a home plate logo on their jerseys, over the players’ hearts. They’re wearing a JC star patch to honor Coleman.

Coleman used to shout, “You can hang a star on that, baby!” after big plays.

The Padres received permission from MLB to wear a special cap to honor Gwynn, with a white front and the 19 home plate logo on one side.

Gwynn played his entire 20-season career with the Padres. He had 3,141 hits — 18th on the all-time list — a career .338 average and won eight batting titles to tie Honus Wagner’s NL record. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2007, along with Cal Ripken Jr.

There was far more to the man.

___

Follow Bernie Wilson on Twitter at http://twitter.com/berniewilson

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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