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Greece coach Santos: I just want goals

By WTOP Staff

DEREK GATOPOULOS
Associated Press

FORTALEZA, Brazil (AP) — Greece is running out of time to make its mark on the World Cup. It hasn’t scored in Brazil and is stranded at the bottom of Group C with one point, tied with Japan but behind on goal difference.

For Tuesday’s game against Ivory Coast, coach Fernando Santos is keeping his priorities simple.

“We have to score goals,” he said. “I don’t care who does it. If it is (goalkeeper Orestis) Karnezis, that’ll be fine with me.”

With Colombia already through to the knockout stage, Greece would have to beat the second-placed Africans to make the last 16, and hope that Japan doesn’t prevail over the South Americans with a better overall goal tally.

Santos, the 59-year-old Portuguese manager, is quitting after the tournament after taking Greece to its third World Cup with an impressive 8-1-1 qualification run that took them to their current 12th place in the world rankings.

“We have to show the qualities that got us here,” he said. “The Ivory Coast is a strong team with good players. But we are strong too and we got here on merit … talk of anything else is just a distraction.”

Star qualification striker Kostas Mitroglou took part in regular training Monday at Fortaleza’s Arena Castelao, despite taking a knock in the previous match with Japan that saw him substituted with back pain.

But Santos refused to say whether he would start.

“Look, I’m not going to tell you what the lineup will be tomorrow,” he said.

Vice-captain Costas Katsouranis is suspended Tuesday, forcing changes to the squad that could see Georgios Samaras, the outgoing Celtic player, moved forward. Versatile midfielder Lazaros Christodoulopoulos, who hasn’t played in Brazil, has also been given a prominent role in training.

Santos appeared frustrated at questions about Greece’s poor World Cup record that have seen them score just twice in three tournaments so far.

“Some people don’t know very much about football. We’ve worked two-to-three years on our game and done some great things. You can’t change that in a couple of days … I don’t care about Japan or what they do. Forget about Japan.” he said, indicating that he had already made his selection for the Fortaleza match.

“Today, I’m going to have a couple of cigarettes after dinner and then I’ll go to bed, like I do every night,” he said.

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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