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Suarez could struggle to recapture form in Brazil

By WTOP Staff

ROB HARRIS
AP Sports Writer

SAO PAULO (AP) — Slamming in goal after goal for Liverpool, Luis Suarez appeared to be reaching the peak of his game and ready to take the World Cup by storm. That’s until the Uruguay striker felt pain in his left knee during the final match of the Premier League season.

Following surgery to repair cartilage damage, Suarez is preparing to return to action for the first time more than a month ago. But even if Suarez plays on Thursday against England at the World Cup, Uruguay coach Oscar Tabarez is not expecting English football’s player of the year to be as explosive as he was for Liverpool just yet.

“He went through a recuperation process knowing that if all went well with this we wouldn’t have to discard him from the World Cup,” Tabarez said. “This recuperation went well and it’s holding well. Since he’s come back he’s been training very well.

“In the case of whether Luis plays — there is a possibility that he won’t be like the Luis Suarez that was the top goal scorer of the Premier League.”

But Tabarez maintains that even when Suarez’s isn’t 100 percent fit he “is someone who can give a lot to his team and that’s what we’re considering right now.”

Suarez spearheaded an unlikely title challenge for Liverpool, with his 31 goals helping the team finish second. Such scoring prowess helped erase memories of previous bans for racism and biting at Liverpool, and of his cheating at the 2010 World Cup when he handled on the goal-line to prevent Ghana from scoring.

“All of us are made up of different things,” Tabarez said through a translator in defense of Suarez at the Itaquerao Stadium in Sao Paulo.

“We have technical abilities, physical abilities and our own personality and character. All those factors make up what we are. Luis has always wanted to face all challenges in his career. Not only playing for national team but in other situations.”

Tabarez only wants to focus on Suarez’s positive attributes, hounding defenders with his lethal finishing.

“Football is played by human beings,” Tabarez said. “We need humility to accept we make mistakes. We know who we are and the image we want to project … it’s not possible to speak of things that happened four years ago. We need to concentrate in the future.”

The future is Thursday’s match for a Uruguay side reeling from a surprise 3-1 collapse to Costa Rica on Saturday.

“We have to prove we want to overcome this uncomfortable situation,” striker Edinson Cavani said.

That could be easier if Suarez is leading the strike force alongside Cavani against England, which has six Liverpool teammates in the squad.

“Any time we have need (of Suarez) in any sort of match he has been willing,” Tabarez said. “He has always improved himself and his career is wonderful, brilliant. He plays in one of best leagues in the world and has overcome many different problems. He is a very important player for us because of his technical abilities and his personality.”

England also lost its Group D opener, against Italy, but attracted praise for its flair and endeavor in the 2-1 defeat. Tabarez was among the admirers.

“England team is very good attacking, very good up front with wonderful players, four players always up front, very fast, more than able to score and they were very direct and pragmatic,” he said. “They are able to organize wonderful plays very fast. (Captain Steven) Gerrard is a wonderful player, organizing play from anyway and this is important for England. It allows them to attack from midfield. We could see that against Italy.”

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Rob Harris can be followed at www.twitter.com/RobHarris

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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