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Manziel’s playbook: hanging with Justin Bieber

By WTOP Staff

TOM WITHERS
AP Sports Writer

CLEVELAND (AP) — Johnny Manziel went from hanging out with the Browns to hanging with the Biebs.

Cleveland’s rookie quarterback, whose social life has overshadowed his NFL arrival, posted photographs on Twitter of him and Justin Bieber.

Manziel promised last week he wouldn’t tone down his well-documented weekend living despite advice from Hall of Famers Emmitt Smith, Joe Montana and Warren Moon.

The 22-year-old not only kept his word but seemed to flaunt his celebrity by posting the photos with the pop star heartthrob as well as boxing champion Floyd Mayweather and others.

Manziel is free from football for the next few weeks. The Browns open training camp July 26, when Manziel will resume his competition with Brian Hoyer for the starting job. Manziel spent last week attending the NFL’s rookie symposium with Cleveland’s other first-year players.

On Friday, Manziel addressed the clamor caused by his social life — he has been filmed spraying champagne on partygoers in Las Vegas, photographed floating on an inflatable swan raft drinking champagne and seen in a video talking on a fake money phone.

Manziel defended his right to party.

“I’m not going to change who I am for anybody,” he said. “I’m growing up and continuing to learn from my mistakes and trying not to make the same ones over and over again, but am I going to live in a shell or am I just going to hide from everybody and not do anything? I don’t think that’s the way I should live my life and I’m not going to do it.

“I’m here. I’m very committed to football. I’m committed to my job, but on the weekends, I’m going to enjoy my time off.”

Manziel says he’s tired of all the talk about how he spends his free time, and he doesn’t believe he’s endangering his career or chances of beating out Hoyer.

“Everybody goes out on the weekends and enjoys their life and lives their life and just for them,” he said. “They don’t have people that when they walk into a place pull out their phones and all they want to do is follow me around and record everything. … Everybody goes out and has fun. Everybody goes out and does that and I’m not doing anything that’s putting myself in a harmful situation. I’m not doing anything that’s putting my team or jeopardizing what I do here throughout the week, or what I’m looking forward to doing this season.”

After attending the three-day symposium, Manziel visited the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday and spent Sunday in Cleveland filming a TV commercial. But by Monday, he was back in the limelight.

Browns coach Mike Pettine has said he won’t speak to Manziel — or any of his other players — about their off-the-field affairs unless they get involved in criminal activities or it affects their jobs.

To this point, Manziel’s only offense seems to be a reluctance to avoid the spotlight.

___

AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL

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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