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Returning Gamecocks confident they’ll keep winning

By WTOP Staff

PETE IACOBELLI
AP Sports Writer

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — South Carolina linebacker Kiawan Lewis believes the Gamecocks’ success won’t stop now that stars such as Jadeveon Clowney and Connor Shaw are gone.

“I still love all my great former teammates that I’ve had, but it’s a new team. New faces that are here looking to make an impact,” he said Friday. “It’s going to be another big season, as big as we can make it.”

That’s a high bar to clear. Clowney, Shaw, defensive tackle Kelcy Quarles and receiver Bruce Ellington were some of the catalysts for an unprecedented run of South Carolina success: the Gamecocks finished 11-2 each of the past three seasons and last January were No. 4 in the national rankings for the team’s highest finish ever.

The Gamecocks took part in the yearly summer Pigskin Poets event at the Richland County Public Library on Friday. The players were swarmed by grade-schoolers for autographs after reading books and singing songs.

Lewis, a junior, knows the Gamecocks can’t worry about who they’ve lost as they get ready to report to preseason camp in two weeks.

“We had great offseason training, so we’re going into camp optimistic and trying to keep everybody healthy and have a great season game by game,” Lewis said.

Others share Lewis’ belief. The Gamecocks were picked as preseason favorites to win the Southeastern Conference Eastern Division at the league’s media days this week, despite not having a player selected to the all-SEC first team.

South Carolina’s players won’t pay attention to the high expectations for the team — or the low ones for individuals, said receiver Damiere Byrd.

“It’s not anything we worry about,” he said. “We just want to keep getting ready for each game.”

Byrd is a senior — considered the fastest player on the squad — who has yet to fully live up his potential as a consistent deep threat with 48 career catches. Byrd, who had offseason knee surgery, knows he’s one being counted on to fill the void left by Ellington, last year’s leading receiver taken in the NFL draft’s fourth round by the San Francisco 49ers.

“Bruce had given us production that we loved and that we needed,” Byrd said. “As he moved on, it’s time for the younger guys and other veterans to take that place.”

Byrd and the other wideouts will have a new passer under center in Dylan Thompson, the backup for Shaw the past few seasons. South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier has called Shaw perhaps the greatest quarterback in team history, yet believes Thompson has enough experience and talent to keep things going.

“We really believe he’s a very good player, has a chance to lead us to a big season,” Spurrier said this week.

Perhaps the largest hole the Gamecocks need to fill is on the defensive line, where Clowney chased down quarterbacks and disrupted offenses for the past three seasons. Clowney gave up his senior season for the NFL draft, where he was taken No. 1 overall by the Houston Texans.

Besides Clowney, playmaking defensive tackle Quarles and rangy, fast defensive end Chaz Sutton are also gone, leaving a bunch of spots to fill by players who haven’t had lots of experience.

Lewis said it’s a similar scenario to last year when the Gamecocks entered the season after losing five senior linebackers or safeties from a year earlier. There were adjustments to make, he said, but by the end of the 2013 season the group had found their footing and helped South Carolina finish fourth in SEC defense and 19th nationally.

The Gamecocks will look to junior Gerald Dixon Jr. and sophomores Gerald Dixon and Darius English to pick up for the lost linemen.

“I’m optimistic about it, I think they’ll have great seasons and definitely be key contributors to this defense,” Lewis 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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