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Wimbledon Watch: Shaq, The Big Tennis Fan

By WTOP Staff

LONDON (AP) — Here’s a new nickname for Shaquille O’Neal: The Big Tennis Fan.

The former NBA star — who famously dubbed himself Shaq-Fu, Diesel, Superman and The Big Aristotle, among other monikers — showed up at Wimbledon on Monday.

The 7-foot-1 (2.16-meter) O’Neal sat in the Royal Box at Centre Court and joined thousands of spectators in greeting Andy Murray with a standing ovation when the 2013 champion walked out for the first match of his title defense.

After Murray’s victory, he got a chance to meet Shaq and chat.

“He’s a big boy, that’s for sure. He was huge. He’s very entertaining,” Murray, a big basketball fan, said with a smile.

“He said that was the first time he’d been to the tennis before,” Murray added. “He enjoyed it.”

— By Howard Fendrich — http://twitter.com/HowardFendrich

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SELFIE TIME: Andy Murray found time to pause and pose for a fan’s selfie before his first match Monday as Wimbledon’s defending champion.

Walking across the grounds at the All England Club less than two hours ahead of his 2014 Centre Court debut, Murray passed a gate where a man and woman shouted out a request for a picture.

With a white towel draped around his neck, a racket bag on his shoulder, and a blue pair of sneakers in his hand, Murray wandered over and obliged.

Here’s a photo of their photo: https://twitter.com/HowardFendrich/status/481018621842718720

Rafael Nadal also stopped to make some fan’s day by appearing in a picture.

— By Howard Fendrich — http://twitter.com/HowardFendrich

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LOST IN TRANSLATION: There was unintended hilarity at Ernests Gulbis’ news conference on Monday at Wimbledon, when the Latvian player misunderstood a question.

“Get rid of vampires?” Gulbis replied.

A few minutes later, Gulbis realized he had heard the question incorrectly.

“My God. Umpires? I thought something else. I thought ‘vampires,’ (like) the people who are surrounding and sucking the energy out of players. That’s what I meant,” Gulbis said.

The topic arose because three-time Wimbledon champion John McEnroe said over the weekend he thought umpires weren’t needed in tennis and that players could call their own lines.

Eventually Gulbis let everyone know he didn’t agree with that stance.

“Without umpires, it wouldn’t work,” said Gulbis, who beat Jurgen Zopp of Estonia 7-6 (7), 7-5, 7-6 (10).

— By Dennis Passa — http://twitter.com/DennisPassa

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THOUGHTS ON BRAZIL: The World Cup continues to be a topic of conversation at Wimbledon, although defending champion Andy Murray would prefer that it not be included in his daily questions.

Murray was asked for the second consecutive day to comment on England not making it out of the group stage in Brazil.

“I’d appreciate it if that wasn’t brought up when I was playing because I’m yet to hear Wayne Rooney talk about my matches at Wimbledon,” Murray said Monday after his first-round win. “I don’t think it’s fair.”

Victoria Azarenka had no problem commenting. Her native Belarus didn’t qualify for the tournament so the former No. 1 is cheering for Argentina.

Azarenka has her fingernails painted in light blue, in honor of the South American team, although it’s Lionel Messi that sweeps her off her feet.

“I love Messi. I think he’s one of the greatest players of all time. He’s so little, so cute,” Azarenka said after advancing to the second round.

“What goes through your mind when you watch Messi?” she was asked.

“You don’t want to know,” Azarenka replied, laughing. “You don’t want to know.”

— By Samuel Petrequin — http://twitter.com/sampetrequin

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Wimbledon Watch follows tennis’ grass-court Grand Slam tournament in London as seen by journalists from The Associated Press. It will be updated throughout the day.

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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