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UNC: NCAA to reopen probe into academic misconduct

By WTOP Staff

AARON BEARD
AP Sports Writer

The NCAA is taking another look into academic misconduct at North Carolina after an investigation uncovered new information.

UNC athletic director Bubba Cunningham said Monday the school has received “a verbal notice of inquiry” that the NCAA will reopen its 2011 investigation in a case that began as an offshoot of a 2010 probe into the football program.

“The NCAA has determined that additional people with information and others who were previously uncooperative might now be willing to speak with the enforcement staff,” Cunningham said in a statement.

Investigations have uncovered fraud in a department with classes featuring significant athlete enrollments, including lecture classes that did not meet and were treated as independent studies requiring only a research paper at semester’s end. Former U.S. Justice Department official Kenneth Wainstein is conducting an independent probe into the problems in the formerly named African and Afro-American Studies (AFAM) department, and has met with two key figures — former chairman Julius Nyang’oro and retired administrator Deborah Crowder — who had not cooperated with earlier school investigations.

Cunningham said Wainstein was instructed to share information he learned with the NCAA. Wainstein said he and colleague Joseph Jay have met with NCAA officials to do that.

“We will continue to provide the NCAA with any relevant information that we learn during the remainder of our investigation,” Wainstein said in a statement. “… The shared information is subject to the NCAA’s confidentiality rules, and it will not be disclosed to university personnel or anyone else until we issue our public report.”

A 2012 investigation led by former Gov. Jim Martin found problems, including unauthorized grade changes, in the department stretching back to the 1990s while directing blame to Nyang’oro and Crowder. Ex-UNC learning specialist Mary Willingham has said the “paper classes” were used to help keep athletes eligible.

Nyang’oro was indicted on a felony fraud count in December, charged with being paid $12,000 to teach a summer 2011 lecture course that did not meet and was treated as an independent study filled with football players. Orange County district attorney Jim Woodall said last week he is considering dropping that charge because Nyang’oro has cooperated with Wainstein and the school recovered the money.

The NCAA and the school jointly investigated the AFAM problems in fall 2011 during the NCAA’s probe of violations within the football program, which led to sanctions in March 2012.

That August, the school said the NCAA had found no rules violations. The NCAA later told UNC officials that it was not considering additional investigation or charges connected to the AFAM department, according to September 2013 email exchange obtained through a public-records request.

But the NCAA’s statement Monday said its enforcement staff “is exploring this new information to ensure an exhaustive investigation is conducted based on all available information.”

The announcement comes less than a month after former men’s basketball player Rashad McCants — a top player on the 2005 NCAA championship team — told ESPN’s “Outside the Lines” that he took several no-show classes in the department and that coach Roy Williams was aware of them. He also said tutors wrote research papers for him.

Williams and the remaining members of that team have denied involvement in academic wrongdoing.

Martin’s probe began shortly after an incomplete transcript for former football star Julius Peppers surfaced on the university’s website. It showed Peppers, who played from 1999-2001, made some of his highest grades in the AFAM department where he was majoring, which could’ve helped ensure his eligibility for competition.

The NCAA originally penalized the football program with a one-year bowl ban, scholarship reductions and probation for improper benefits and academic misconduct violations, the latter focused on a tutor providing too much assistance on papers to players.

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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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