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Scolari: confederation to decide his future

By WTOP Staff

TALES AZZONI
AP Sports Writer

BRASILIA, Brazil (AP) — Luiz Felipe Scolari declined to make a decision on his future Saturday, saying it will be up to the Brazilian football confederation to decide whether he will continue as Brazil’s coach after the World Cup.

Following Brazil’s 3-0 loss to the Netherlands in the third-place match, Scolari said he will let the confederation analyze his performance and decide whether he should remain as coach despite failing to succeed at the home tournament.

The coach, who was loudly booed by the crowd in Brasilia, said that it’s not up to him to say whether he will stay or leave.

The confederation has hinted it wants Scolari to remain with the national team, but nothing official has been announced.

“It’s the president (of the confederation) who has to decide,” said the 65-year-old Scolari, who led Brazil to the 2002 World Cup title. “We had already agreed that after the tournament we would hand over the command regardless of whether we won or lost. I will turn in a report to the president and he will analyze what he wants to do.”

Since his second stint with the national team began in late 2012, Scolari led the team to 19 wins, six draws and four losses. Brazil won last year’s Confederations Cup, the World Cup warm-up tournament, under his command. He had promised to win the World Cup at home, saying it was Brazil’s obligation.

Confederation president Jose Maria Marin has not spoken publicly since Brazil was eliminated from the World Cup with a disastrous 7-1 loss to Germany in the semifinals, the national team’s worst defeat in its 100-year history. He had said before the tournament that he would like Scolari to remain as coach no matter what happened with the national team.

“We will show our report to him and we will see what happens,” Scolari said. “My life goes on regardless.”

The coach was largely blamed by fans and local media for picking a lineup that was too offensive against Germany. He apologized to fans after the loss, but said he thought his work with the national team was good until now.

“We didn’t have great performances but we were reaching our goals,” Scolari said. “We still finished in the top four. I don’t think we can’t criticize the national team.”

Injured striker Neymar showed up during Scolari’s news conference after Saturday’s loss, hugging the coach and saying a few words to him before leaving.

Brazil’s next official tournament is the 2015 Copa America. The team is expected to play four friendlies this year, the first one against Colombia on Sept. 5.

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Follow Tales Azzoni at http://www.twitter.com/tazzoni

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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